Reading taking injured striker 'day-by-day' after 10-day training lay-off

Reading striker Sam Smith is being worked on a 'day-by-day' basis as the club manage his return after an injury lay-off.

The 26-year-old has scored five goals so far this season for the Royals but has missed the last three matches with an injury, leaving the Royals thin with just Jayden Wareham as the sole forward available.

After a pair of cup clashes, Reading return to League One action on Saturday at Stevenage with a sold-out away contingent following the team to Hertfordshire.

Unlikely to make a return for the trip to the Lamex Stadium, boss Ruben Selles has confirmed that Smith has not trained in 10 days and is being managed 'on a day-to-day basis.'

"We are taking Sam day-by-day," he told the media after Tuesday's 1-0 defeat at Cheltenham Town. "He has not been on the pitch in the last 10 days so we will see if he can be on the grass on Thursday.

"I don’t think he will arrive to Stevenage, but it is a little possibility that he goes really well in the next couple of days. I will look a bit further and hopefully the Shrewsbury game- if that happens."

Andy Yiadom, Jeriel Dorsett and Kelvin Ehibhatiomham are all out for varying lengths of time, with Ehibhatiomhan missing until the New Year with a hip issue.