When : Monday September 4 2023, 8pm
Where : Abbey Stadium, Newmarket Road, Cambridge, CB5 8LN
Capacity : 8,127
Couple of miseries to try and reverse or improve with this one. Firstly, Reading are on a run of 14 away league games without a win (or 20 away league games failing to score more than the opposition players), secondly the TV curse looms large again, now standing at 8 wins from the last 41 televised games. New territory as well for Reading a I believe this is the first non bank holiday Monday evening league kick off away from home that the club have played.
Trouble is though that Cambridge seem to be doing rather decently despite being a common punditry pick for relegation this time round. They are 10th in the table (a goal or two worse off than the likes of Portsmouth and Derby) and 4 points better off than Reading, having won 3 and lost 2 of their first 5 league games. However they have lost 2 of their last 3 and are the one team to have taken points off Oxford so far.
Ipswich loanee striker Gassam Adahme is already starting to catch the eye along with midfielder Jack Lancaster. They also have their own "wifi password" in Fejiri Okenabirhie plus Sullay Kaikai and Elias Kachunga who will likely be on the bench but are very useful at the lower levels so, overall, another game that won't be anything other than difficult, esp. with all the "luck" that Reading seem to regularly collect in TV away games, still I expect Ruben will have a "plan". Personally I just hope that Nelson can cope with playing at a stadium that's named after him!
The transfer window will have been closed for a whole weekend by the time this games comes round (though Reading will no doubt keep watching the "free agent" market) and Reading may have completed some late business (e.g. Ballard or Scarlett) so could be new faces to consider. Most interestingly will be whether the likes of Jayden Wareham have been signed and whether they'd be involved in the first team?
The six man injury list will hopefully have been reduced by one after Tyler Bindon completes the concussion "protocol" but former Cambridge striker Sam Smith will still be missing likely along with Ejaria, Mukairu, Wing and Camara.
Referee
Darren "back after 7 years away" Drysdale
Previously
19 Mar 2016 > Reading 1-1 Cardiff City
11 Aug 2015 > Colchester United 0-1 Reading (League Cup)
06 Apr 2012 > Reading 2-0 Leeds United
30 Apr 2006 > Reading 2-1 Queen's Park Rangers
Historically
The last visit to the Abbey stadium was almost exactly 21 years ago in September 2002 for a defeat in the league cup but to compensate Matt Upson made his full debut (and scored too!).
The league record along this particular bit of the Newmarket Road isn't too good. The ten league visits so far have seen Reading win just twice while Cambridge have won five. Since Reading's last win at the Abbey (by 1-0 back in February 1994) Reading have lost one and drawn two of the three league games played and have conceded at least once in all three (however they've also scored at least once in all three).
How to follow the game
- Get a ticket and go
- Sky
- Listen to Radio 5 Live and/or a myriad of other radio stations for score flashes
- Ring/text a mate for updates
- Use a RoyalsTV subscription
- BBC Radio Berkshire (FM : 104.4, 104.1 or 95.4 depending where you are in the area)
