Reading will be without banned centre-back Andre Bikey for tomorrow’s Barclays Premiership clash at Middlesbrough.
January signing Michael Duberry will make his debut unless manager Steve Coppell elects to give another chance to fringe man Sam Sodje.
Winger Bobby Convey (knee) has joined Ibrahima Sonko (knee) on the long-term casualty list and while striker Kevin Doyle has recovered from a hamstring problem he is not ready to return.
Provisional squad: Hahnemann, Murty, Ingimarsson, Duberry, Sodje, Shorey, Little, Sidwell, Harper, Hunt, Lita, Long, Kitson, Federici, de la Cruz, Halford, Gunnarsson, Oster, Seol.