Injury table and expected return....

[Extended-Phenotype]

Just checkin in.

Can we afford to play any of our new signings this week, or will they still miss this game?

[scumbag]

Apparently ohhhh Danny Danny, Danny Danny Danny Williams is back today.

[Wycombe Royal]

Morrison out apparently - he did tweet earlier in the week that he was having a scan.

[Ian Royal]

Morrison out apparently - he did tweet earlier in the week that he was having a scan.

boy or girl?

[Wycombe Royal]

Morrison out apparently - he did tweet earlier in the week that he was having a scan.

boy or girl?

The scan was inconclusive, however my money is on a girl....

[3points]

Is Jason Roberts really injured? Given he's been out for what seems like a whole year now and no comments regarding an imminent return I just wonder what the real sitation is. If he has a career threatening injury, then wouldn't the club have claimed on the insurance by now and paid up his contract? I've heard rumours that he isn't injured at all but no longer feels he can cut it at this level - there's no ITK about that, just the musings of a friend of a friend.

[Cureton's Volley]

I've heard rumours that he isn't injured at all but no longer feels he can cut it at this level

If this is true he really needs to do the decent thing

[Royal Ginger]

HRK didn't even make the bench on Saturday. Is he injured or just left out (which would suggest he's off)?

[The Quiet Man]

Injured I think as him & Baird were doing a late fitness test (?) before the game on Saturday.

[Royalwaster]

Is Jason Roberts really injured? Given he's been out for what seems like a whole year now and no comments regarding an imminent return I just wonder what the real sitation is. If he has a career threatening injury, then wouldn't the club have claimed on the insurance by now and paid up his contract? I've heard rumours that he isn't injured at all but no longer feels he can cut it at this level - there's no ITK about that, just the musings of a friend of a friend.

Good point ... maybe insurance payment is not enough for someone his age?

[SPARTA]

HRK didn't even make the bench on Saturday. Is he injured or just left out (which would suggest he's off)?

Hopefully injured until we can offload him off the wage bill.

[SPARTA]

Is Jason Roberts really injured? Given he's been out for what seems like a whole year now and no comments regarding an imminent return I just wonder what the real sitation is. If he has a career threatening injury, then wouldn't the club have claimed on the insurance by now and paid up his contract? I've heard rumours that he isn't injured at all but no longer feels he can cut it at this level - there's no ITK about that, just the musings of a friend of a friend.

Good point ... maybe insurance payment is not enough for someone his age?

He updates us regularly - "another inch towards the mile". He's on course for a comeback in 2045.

It got rubbished at the time but he was told it was very unlikely he'd make a full comeback after his hip injury. He subsequently took the option to add another year to his contract and has been inching towards that mile ever since, to try and justify the money he's picking up very week. He will hang up his boots in the summer, no doubt disappointed he couldn't get fit again.

[3points]

Sparta - don't disagree with you. It just doesn't make sense that the club wouldn't have put him out to pasture and claim off the insurance (unless there's been something dodgy on the contract extension which has meant the insurance company won't cover it)

[Oilroyal]

Jason Roberts has been dining out on a decent half a season with this club and credit where credit's due he was excellent for us way back in the day but he's been swinging the lead ever since. He hardly kicked a ball for us in the promotion season, the season he took up his extension option and then there's this season where's he's been 100% media-side. The truth is that it's too political to confront Roberts and out him. The club could do without the negative media attention that Roberts could and would create. Jason will no doubt tweet or announce that he's making good progress on his fitness as soon as he knows people are questioning the situation just as he did the last time his Reading FC pension was a hot topic. The man is a skilful politician and due to his media voice on all topics with the exception of him putting in a shift for Reading FC he will continue to mug off this club. Come Jason do the decent thing!

[SPARTA]

Sparta - don't disagree with you. It just doesn't make sense that the club wouldn't have put him out to pasture and claim off the insurance (unless there's been something dodgy on the contract extension which has meant the insurance company won't cover it)

Roberts would need to agree to it; and what sort of payment would he and the club get? At his age I bet it wouldn't be much. He'd get more from sapping us dry for a season while he makes 'every effort' to return to fitness. I think we might, at best, see a sub appearance or two, just as a send off (assuming he hasn't burnt any bridges), but he'll never play back to back 90 minutes for anyone again. I loved him for what he did when he arrived here and will always be thankful for that, but it does take a bit of a shine off of that memory to think he's used us just to bank a million prior to retiring. Of course he was entitled to do it, as we agreed the additional year could be activated by him or us, but still, morally it's not on.

[sandman]

Jason Roberts has been dining out on a decent half a season with this club and credit where credit's due he was excellent for us way back in the day but he's been swinging the lead ever since. He hardly kicked a ball for us in the promotion season, the season he took up his extension option and then there's this season where's he's been 100% media-side. The truth is that it's too political to confront Roberts and out him. The club could do without the negative media attention that Roberts could and would create. Jason will no doubt tweet or announce that he's making good progress on his fitness as soon as he knows people are questioning the situation just as he did the last time his Reading FC pension was a hot topic. The man is a skilful politician and due to his media voice on all topics with the exception of him putting in a shift for Reading FC he will continue to mug off this club. Come Jason do the decent thing!

[Pele_Kitson]

HRK didn't even make the bench on Saturday. Is he injured or just left out (which would suggest he's off)?

HRK was warming up with Jake Taylor before the matchday 18 came out on Saturday, as Taylor had been with Akpan the previous home game. HRK has just been left out of the squad.

[winchester_royal]

Well, our head of sports science has left if that has any bearing on things..... shame to see Halabi leave.

Nick Harvey, by the way, ex- sterngth and conditioning coach at Southampton.

New fitness coach then.

So, 3/4 months after bringing this new guy in we've cut out the niggly injuries that were hampering our season, the likes of Williams, Akpan, McCleary etc look in fantastic shape, and all of a sudden we seem to be bullying teams into submission through relentless pressing and have stayed on strongly in games like Millwall and QPR. Meanwhile Southampton's form is slipping after an excellent start to the season. Coincidence?

Chrissy Gunts doesn't seem to think so: http://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/sport/football/articles/2014/02/21/97907-gunter-superior-fitness-gives-reading-fc-a-boost-in-championship-promotion-race/?

[Pepe the Horseman]

Any news on Bridge?

[Vision]

Well, our head of sports science has left if that has any bearing on things..... shame to see Halabi leave.

Nick Harvey, by the way, ex- sterngth and conditioning coach at Southampton.

New fitness coach then.

So, 3/4 months after bringing this new guy in we've cut out the niggly injuries that were hampering our season, the likes of Williams, Akpan, McCleary etc look in fantastic shape, and all of a sudden we seem to be bullying teams into submission through relentless pressing and have stayed on strongly in games like Millwall and QPR. Meanwhile Southampton's form is slipping after an excellent start to the season. Coincidence?

Chrissy Gunts doesn't seem to think so: http://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/sport/football/articles/2014/02/21/97907-gunter-superior-fitness-gives-reading-fc-a-boost-in-championship-promotion-race/?

Not sure whether we look fitter because they're better conditioned or because the likes of Williams,Akpan,Obita,Jobi are simply more naturally athletic that those they've replaced Guthrie,Baird,Bridge,Drenthe.

Don't think he's done any harm though that's for sure.