Venue: Ricoh Arena
When: Saturday, October 31
Kick Off: 3pm
Competition: Coca-Cola Championship
COVENTRY City put a stop to recent back-to-back defeats with last Saturday's goalless draw against Championship high flyers West Bromwich Albion on Saturday, a point which moved them up to 15th in the league table.
After successive defeats away from home to Sheffield Wednesday and Cardiff City, the Sky Blues put the stoppers on the run at the Ricoh Arena and Coleman will be looking to spark off a run of positive results when the Royal's visit City this weekend.
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OVERVIEW
READING'S fortunes so far this season have left much to be desired and are in stark contrast to the performances last season that earned them a play-off spot.
Four defeats in their last four games have left the Royals languishing in the relegation places but a series of close-season departures has not helped the cause of manager Brendan Rodgers who took the reins at the club in the summer of 2009.
Five big name summer departures have clearly had an effect on the Royals with midfielder Stephen Hunt, goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann and striker Kevin Doyle and defender Andre Bikey all departing for Premier League pastures.
Combine that with hitman Leroy Lita's move to Championship promotion contenders Middlesbrough and you have the nucleus of Reading's successful campaign last season absent, leaving Rodgers needing to fill the void on relatively short notice.
HEAD TO HEAD
READING edge the stats in all-time meetings between the two clubs, winning 18 of 45 clashes since 1931 with the Sky Blues winning 14.
Fortunes between the two sides in the Championship, however, have always been up in the air with Reading winning two and Coventry winning one with two stalemates.
Last five fixtures
Coventry City 0 Reading 0, Coca-Cola Championship, 04/04/2009
Reading 3 Coventry City 1, Coca-Cola Championship, 01/12/2008
Reading 2 Coventry City 0, Coca-Cola Championship, 14/01/2006
Coventry City 1 Reading 1, Coca-Cola Championship, 10/09/2005
Reading 1 Coventry City 2, Coca-Cola Championship, 19/02/2005
CONNECTIONS
FORMER Coventry City midfielder Jay Tabb now plies his trade at the Madejski Stadium after moving their from the Ricoh Arena in the January 2009 transfer window.
Coventry City loan defender Patrick van Aanholt is also familiar with Reading loanee Ryan Bertrand as the pair are teammates at parent club Chelsea.
LAST GAME
Reading 0 Leicester City 1
READING dropped into the relegation spots after Martin Waghorn's goal on the stroke of half-time condemned the Royals to their fourth consecutive league defeat.
Grzegorz Rasiak came closest to getting on the scoresheet for the hosts after striking the post with 25 minutes gone.
But on-loan Waghorn grabbed the only goal of the game just before the break after heading home Matt Oakley's cross.
INJURIES AND SUSPENSIONS
Coventry City are without midfielder Sammy Clingan who is still sidelined with a broken metatarsal.
Doubts hang over striker Leon Best and midfielder Aron Gunnarsson who have both recently recovered from respective knee and leg injuries.
James McPake is also still out but on the road to recovery from a shoulder injury suffered in pre-season.
Reading captain Ivar Ingimarsson will return for the trip to the Ricoh after missing the 1-0 defeat at home to Leicester on Monday night thanks to a one-match suspension.
Forward Noel Hunt had surgery on his knee injury this week and is expected to be out for some time, while left-back Chris Armstrong is still recovering from knee surgery of his own.
On-loan Celtic defender Darren O`Dea is hoping to be involved after missing the Leicester match with a groin problem.
DANGER MAN
Jay Tabb
AS with the return of any former Sky Blue, Tabby will be on the radar of many of his former teammates as they all know what he is capable of from his time at Coventry City.
Passionate and extremely hard-working, Tabb plays with the attributes normally accustomed to a player twice his size and has proved his ability to turn games enough times in a Sky Blues shirt.
Chris Coleman's side will be making it a major focus point that he does not do that against his former club.
BETTING
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