Last time out Sunderland lost at Middlesbrough and Reading beat Stoke. Sunderland travel to Reading in the Championship, with Black Cats boss Tony Mowbray saying that Ross Stewart will miss "six to eight weeks", adding that it could be a little longer. The 26-year-old scored five goals in seven matches this season. Meanwhile, full-back Dennis Cirkin's hamstring strain is not as bad as first feared, with the 20-year-old due to return within a fortnight. Reading have started the season really well and their home form is very impressive, having played 4 and winning them all. The Royals are in third place behind Sheffield United and Norwich City. Shane Long could miss out after picking up an injury against Stoke, but Yakou Meite and Mamadou Loum have returned to training and may feature on the bench. Tony Mowbray: "He's a really positive guy and we hope that he will be a quick healer, so we will take it game by game and hopefully he'll return quickly," "It is a blow and now we have to find a way to score the goals, but we will be positive and we will not be all doom and gloom about how we are going to win games and score." "I don’t see (Amad) Diallo being a replacement for Ross Stewart because he is a totally different type of player, and I don’t see the young Costa Rican (Jewison Bennette) being a replacement because he is just a right, dynamic, fast dribbler of the ball. He hasn’t really got those physical qualities so we probably have to find a slightly different way to play and create different type of chances, but still make sure that we get enough bodies into the box to score the goals when the chances are created. "We can’t deny that it has diminished our attacking threat and it would be wrong for me to say 'oh, we'll be fine without him' because he is a loss." Paul Ince: “Shane (Long) has got a problem and it looks like he’s going to be out for Saturday,” Ince told Wokingham.today. “He has an issue and we will get more details about that. “Yak (Yakou Meite) is back training, maybe it is too early to start, but he should be back in contention either this week on Wednesday. Mamadou Loum is also back in training” “Naby (Sarr) will be another couple of weeks - he won’t be back before Wigan I wouldn’t have thought. “Ovie (Ejaria) is back in the gym doing some stuff and was on the grass today, but not doing too much. “So I’m hoping that after the international break he will be back. Scott (Dann) is out until next year. It will be another two months if we are lucky.” Match Appointments: Referee: MATTHEW DONOHUE Assistant Referees: Ian Cooper and Greg Read Fourth Official: James Linington Team Lineups: Sunderland AFC: (4-5-1) Patterson, Alese, Wright, Batth, O’Nien, Neil, Evans, Gooch, Pritchard, Clarke, Simms. Subs: Bass, Hume, Matete, Embleton, Roberts, Amad, Dajaku Injured: Huggins, Ballard, Cirkin, Stewart, Michut Reading (3-4-3): Lumley, Hutchinson, Yiadom, McIntyre, Holmes, Ince, Hendrick, Fornah, Rahman, Hoilett, João Subs: Tetek, Guinness-Walker, Bouzanis, Abrefa, Ehibhationham, Craig Injured: Sarr, Ajaria, Dann, Meite, Loum, Long Betting Odds: Sunderland 6/4 Reading 7/4 Draw 23/10 Prutton Predicts: meh My two pence: A poor display at the Riverside and two major injuries was not great, but hopefully we can bounce back quickly. Reading is going to be a tough game, but it is the closest away game for me and I can’t wait to cheer on the lads. I’m going for a 3-2 away win. Live on Sky Sports Football (19:30) KO 20:00 Ha’way the Lads
Great thread again RTB. Reading have had a blistering start and it will be tough but have shown they can be vulnerable. I'd happily take a draw but think we can nick it Hawaaaaaaaay
Lovely to see the match thread appear and first class as usual @RTB I will be more than happy to take a point and a much improved performance than last time
Wooohoo, and suddenly all is right in the world with another marvelous RTB matchday thread. I reckon we will beat these ****ers 1-2. Safe travels to all of the magnificent red and white bastards travelling down and attending the game. I will be watching it on Sky with a few beers, listening to commentary from Trevor Sinc........
Cheers RTB This is going to be a really interesting watch. No idea how TM will approach this. Hopefully we can come up with a system that can open things up for Simms But I’m struggling to see where else the goals are coming from. They are quite bright on the break Never the less think we are a confident team now and will sneak a 1-0. Keep the faith lads the futures bright
I remember the last time we played them at home. There was a 60 sec period that summed up that season.... McManaman bundles in a goal. We all celebrate that FINALLY something is going right. The referee disallows the goal. We all go mental. The referee sends McManamana off for handball. We immediately concede 3 goals. Brilliant
Is that the Ejaria lad we had on loan a few years ago? Is he any good these days? Shane Long is ****e
cheers again RTB... looking at the head to heads i cannot believe how they have such a good record against us, i remember the 4-0 win they had down there that seemed to signal a kick up the @rse for the squad (peter reid times) and it was considered a horrendous game to have lost as it was 'only reading'...i know times have changed but i still see them as 'only reading' and expect us to walk it every time, of course it is never like that as they do tend to put up a good game and have done well so far. as things stand, offer me a draw now and i would take it i think.
It is the same lad we had on loan. He was on loan there (after he went to Rangers) and then signed a 4 year deal in 2020, he's been out injured ( hamstring) since the opening game of this season.
Another tough game, aren't they all. Our record there isn't brilliant so time to change that, clean sheet and anybody scoring for us will do me HTL.
Great read as always many thanks. Head says eventful score draw but the heart says we will nick it so it’s a COME ON from me
I think Gooch will play lb and Roberts will be on the right side in a 3 behind Simms. Hume at rb and O9 next to Baath
thank you for yet another brill matchday thread RTB . Gone for the draw as these buggers are a bit of a bogey team for us, or have been lately, maybe lady luck will smile on us. or we come up with a cunning plan to compensate for the loss of Ross Stewart
Possibly but if we play that formation we may go with Diallo and Roberts and maybe sacrifice the number 10 role in a 343 formation.
I was at the 0-4 game Sam at the old Roots Hall and that performance has got to be in the top 3 worst. However it became a watershed moment and the rest under Reid is as they say history. Defo don't want a repeat this week.
Thanks RTB as always. Has the feeling of a tough couple of games coming up for me. Both of these games look tailor made for Stewart. I worry about Simms if I am honest, I hope he proves me wrong but I am not convinced by him yet. Started in the goals, but I am not convinced by his all round game and his touch has looked shaky at times. Like I say I hope he proves me wrong. Time for Pritchard to stand up a bit as well I think. Might sound harsh but it is only because he has the experience at this level and above and needs to be one that leads. I thought first 3 games he was excellent, but not quite at that level since. I quite like the look of your team RTB. I like the idea of Gooch higher up the pitch where he has put some great deliveries in this season. Him and Clarke feeding Simms might be the answer, Simms needs to be running onto things in my opinion. Not sure how we replace Cirkin as he is outstanding. Him and Ballard both out is a massive blow and cant see us keeping a clean sheet as a result. Chance for Alese perhaps - need some pace at the back somewhere for me. Diallo is likely to have a part to play now. Not sure the other new lads will be thrown in yet, but maybe with extra time on the training pitch they have had chance to learn about us. No predicition, other than we have to stay calm now. A performance back at the level pre Middlesborough will do me next 2 games.
