Reading (a) Build Up

[Chazza]

Sterling ruled out but Downing is fit after a bout of sickness.

[SB]

Sterling ruled out but Downing is fit after a bout of sickness.

Sterling could be being protected to stop him playing for the under 21's in the summer is a rumour I heard.

[frank the tank]

i expect us to hammer these mofos.....3 or 4 nil hopefully....

I would like to see Downing benched......he played terribly against WHU.....illness or no illness it was unacceptable......the ****.....

Front 3 of Suarez, Coutinho and Sturridge for me......rest of the team the same...

[ronanm]

Would be appalled if we lost this one!

[Tee]

Sods law Reading play out of their skins to cause an upset here. Would be typical of our season really.

[Lee]

Sods law Reading play out of their skins to cause an upset here. Would be typical of our season really.

We should beat these lot. I'd like to see Sturridge, Suarez and Coutinho up top with Lucas, Gerrard and Henderson in the middle.

Again I'd like to see Skrtel back in the starting eleven but hey ho.

[The_weatherman]

Sterling could be being protected to stop him playing for the under 21's in the summer is a rumour I heard.

Hope not, I think he can gain valuable experience from going and playing a part. There is less pressure on him now so I'd say we should rather keep him in the U-21 for the rest of the season and ecourage his involvement in the U-21's in the summer.

[The_weatherman]

Sods law Reading play out of their skins to cause an upset here. Would be typical of our season really.

I think that was the West Ham match tbh, so we'll stuff them but soon lose unexpected points in a typical fashion.

[SB]

Hope not, I think he can gain valuable experience from going and playing a part. There is less pressure on him now so I'd say we should rather keep him in the U-21 for the rest of the season and ecourage his involvement in the U-21's in the summer.

He's supposed to have a thigh muscle strain at present.

[SB]

Jimmy Kebe will miss Reading's Barclays Premier League encounter with Liverpool at the Madejski Stadium because of a groin problem.

Fellow midfielder Hope Akpan is a major doubt for the match because of an ankle injury sustained in last Saturday 2-0 defeat to Southampton.

Royals boss Nigel Adkins said Reading have further niggles, but no other players are expected to be ruled out.

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers was sacked by Reading in 2009 after just six months in charge, but Adkins doubts there will be any special desire to demonstrate to his former employers that they made a mistake.

``Brendan doesn't have anything to prove to us. He's a fantastic manager,'' he said.

``He was here, was very successful at Swansea and is doing a fantastic job at Liverpool. He's a footballing man who improves his players.

``He has teams that are really exciting to watch, so I don't believe he has anything to prove to anybody.''

Adkins hinted that his players have the six matches left in Reading's season to prove they should remain in his plans for next season.

``Every player knows that the transfer window opens at the end of the season and that all clubs do business, moving people around. Here will be no exception,'' he said.

``The players have been spot on in training and the attitude of the players tells me they want to stay at Reading.''

Forward Raheem Sterling will be absent again for Liverpool as the club continue to manage the teenager's thigh injury.

Winger Stewart Downing, who played in last weekend's goalless draw with West Ham despite illness, is now fully recovered.

Forward Fabio Borini and midfielder Joe Allen (both shoulder) are sidelined, as is defender Martin Kelly (knee).

Star striker Luis Suarez has not scored for three games but, after drawing another blank against West Ham last weekend, boss Brendan Rodgers insists his star man is not feeling the effects of a long campaign, during which at times he has carried the side single-handedly.

``What he maybe showed last weekend was he is human, but the level of his consistency this season has been incredible,'' said the Northern Irishman.

``He showed sometimes he is not always going to be nine or 10 out of 10. Luis may have not have been a nine out of 10 but he was certainly a seven for his work-rate and his intensity.

``From time to time he will have games like that but it just shows you the level he has reached this year, where he can still have a good game but because he doesn't score he is regarded as not being at as high a level.

``He has that mindset where he wants to play every game and we're certainly better off with him in the team than out of it.''

http://espnfc.com/en/preview/345838/preview.html?soccernet=true&cc=3436

[SB]

I'd be surprised if this is right but here it is anyways

@TransferUpdate: Liverpool's rumoured line up vs Reading.. Interesting... http://t.co/ZobV2M8F21

Reina, Wisdom, Sama, Agger, Enrique, Gerrard, Shelvey, Henderson, Downing, Coutinho and Suarez.

[Arn]

If that starting XI is right then Rodgers isn't playing his best available XI and that should simply not happen but it wouldn't be the first time the last few weeks.

Southampton away playing an unfit Allen and in the last game playing Downing that was sick.

[Fredo]

When do we play this?

[Bender]

I'd be surprised if this is right but here it is anyways

i feel like puking if that's the team

[Fredo]

i feel like puking if that's the team

Why?