Fulham welcome Reading ~ Team News Ch. Playoff 1st Leg
last updated Friday 12th May 2017, 4:24 PM
Team News
Fulham v Reading
Championship Play Off 1st Leg 1617 at Craven Cottage
Saturday 13th May 2017 KO: 17:30
Referee:
Stuart Attwell (Warwickshire )
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Fulham will be without defenders Ragnar Sigurdsson and Michael Madl for the play-off semi-final first leg against Reading.
Sigurdsson will miss out at Craven Cottage after suffering a calf problem and Madl is nursing an ankle injury.
Boss Slavisa Jokanovic does not expect either player to be fit for the second leg on Tuesday, but they might be available at Wembley should Fulham reach the final.
Jokanovic otherwise has a full-strength squad available.
Fulham beat Reading 5-0 at Craven Cottage in the regular league season, with Chris Martin scoring twice for them.
The team that finished sixth in the Championship has won promotion via the play-offs just once in the past 11 seasons - Blackpool in 2009-10.
This is Fulham's first play-off campaign since 1997-98, when they lost in the third-tier semi-finals against Grimsby under the stewardship of Kevin Keegan.
Chris Martin scored in both legs of the 2013-14 Championship play-off semi-final against Brighton for Derby, scoring two goals as the Rams reached the final.
Fulham ended the Championship season on an unbeaten run of six matches, winning five.
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Reading winger Garath McCleary is in contention despite missing the 4-2 win over Burton with a groin problem.
Skipper Paul McShane (calf) and midfielder Joey van den Berg (hamstring) played 45 minutes each against Albion to prove their fitness.
Stephen Quinn is also close to returning after a knee problem and Deniss Rakels is back in training following a broken ankle.
Winger Callum Harriott remains sidelined by a hamstring injury.
Reading's only win in their past five Championship fixtures against Fulham came in their most recent meeting in January, where they recorded a 1-0 home victory (D1 L3).
The team to finish third in the second tier of English football has won the play-offs more times than any other finishing position (10 of 28 - 36%).
Reading will be embarking upon their sixth venture into the Football League play-offs and fifth in the second tier. The Royals have failed to win promotion on all six occasions, most recently losing 2-4 v Swansea in the 2010-11 final.
The Royals have lost two play-off finals in the second tier, a tally beaten only by Sheffield United (3).
Jaap Stam's side also ended the season in good form, winning seven of their final nine Championship matches (L2).
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Source ESPN FC/BBCSports
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