Preview: Coventry City vs. Reading - prediction, team news, lineups

Coventry City will look to build on an encouraging start to the season when they host Reading in the Championship on Saturday afternoon.

The Sky Blues have two wins from their first three games and sit in eighth, while the Royals are 17th on three points.

Match preview

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After coming from behind to beat Nottingham Forest 2-1 on the opening weekend, Coventry lost 1-0 to Barnsley before bouncing back to beat Blackpool 1-0 on Tuesday night.

Viktor Gyokeres scored his second goal of the season to secure the win at Bloomfield Road, as Mark Robins hailed "some great defensive performances" in his side's first clean sheet in seven league games.

Following their two-year exile, the Sky Blues will be eager to make the Coventry Building Society Arena a fortress this season and Kyle McFadzean's 96th-minute winner against Forest a fortnight ago was the perfect homecoming.

Coventry have only won one of the last 12 encounters with Reading, but that was a 3-2 victory at St Andrew's last season.

After hosting the Royals, Robins's men face a tricky trip to early Championship front-runners Queens Park Rangers before August is out.

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There is not as much early season positivity in the Reading camp, as the Royals have lost two of their opening three games and have conceded a league-high seven goals.

On Tuesday night they handed Bristol City their first league win since March; the Robins triumphed 3-2, having been two goals up inside 14 minutes following some poor set-piece defending from Veljko Paunovic's side.

Off the pitch, their transfer activity remains restricted by the EFL and loanee Tom Dele-Bashiru and free transfer Junior Hoilett are the club's only signings of the summer so far.

It means that their substitutes' bench has mainly been made up of academy players, but it has allowed 20-year-old Femi Azeez to take a starring role and he has two goals to his name so far.

Reading have not won away from home since the end of February, and after their trip to the West Midlands they visit Huddersfield Town next weekend.

Team News

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Mark Robins could name an unchanged Coventry team after their midweek win, although Martyn Waghorn is pushing for a recall in attack.

Tyler Walker is sidelined for the next few weeks with a shoulder issue, but the Sky Blues welcomed Matty Godden back to the bench against Blackpool after a foot injury.

A goal for Viktor Gyokeres would see him take his tally for the campaign to three, the same number he achieved in the entirety of last season in the Championship.

Veljko Paunovic has confirmed that Reading will be without last season's top scorer Lucas Joao until January after he suffered a hip injury against Preston North End last weekend.

George Puscas started in Joao's place in midweek, while 17-year-old Jahmari Clarke came off the bench to make his Championship debut so will be pushing for a start.

Paunovic also confirmed that Ovie Ejaria's absence so far this season is due to the midfielder testing positive for coronavirus, so he remains out for the trip to the West Midlands.

The Royals announced the signing of Junior Hoilett on Thursday evening and the Canadian is eligible to make his debut on Saturday.

Coventry City possible starting lineup:
Moore; Hyam, McFadzean, Clarke-Salter; Dabo, Hamer, Sheaf, Maatsen; Allen, O'Hare; Gyokeres

Reading possible starting lineup:
Rafael; Morrison, Moore, McIntyre; Yiadom, Laurent, Rinomhota, Bristow; Swift; Puscas, Azeez

We say: Coventry City 1-1 Reading

A difficult one to call this, as Reading have had no problems scoring goals this season but Coventry look tight defensively. The Sky Blues will be eager to get another win under their belts on home turf, but we think it will end level.