With a number of teams enviably eyeing Reading's current league position of sixth in the Championship table, they will be eager not to slip up when they host Blackburn Rovers at the Madejski Stadium on Saturday.

The Royals occupy the final playoff spot and have a four-point gap separating them from their nearest two challengers, but they both have a game in hand and will be looking to pounce upon any mistake.

Confidence will be sky-high at the Madejski, however, as they beat promotion-chasing Queens Park Rangers 3-1 at Loftus Road on Sunday, handing Harry Redknapp's side just their second home league defeat of the season.

Nigel Adkins will stress the importance of building on that victory, however, after they followed up good wins over Blackpool and Millwall with a disappointing home defeat to Sheffield Wednesday recently.

They have won five and lost two of their last seven matches, finding the back of the net 19 times during that spell while conceding eight.

Their home form has been mixed recently, however. Having begun the season with a nine-match unbeaten streak at the Madejski, they have lost three, drawn one and won two of the next six.

Adkins could name an unchanged side to the one that beat QPR after Kaspars Gorkss had his red card rescinded, with Jason Roberts, Jem Karacan, Wayne Bridge, Mikele Leigertwood and Sean Morrison all still struggling with injuries.

Blackburn are one of the teams throwing envious glances towards Reading, and they will not have given up on catching the Royals just yet.

A victory on Saturday for the visitors would close the gap between them to four points, while Blackburn also have the luxury of a game in hand to further put pressure on Adkins's side.

However, wins have not come easily for Rovers recently, with just one in their last six matches in all competitions.

Their main problem has come through drawing games having shared the spoils in three of their last four Championship outings - the only exception being a 2-0 win over Blackpool.

Three points would be invaluable for Gary Bowyer's team, but it is something they have managed just three times on the road this season, drawing six and losing six away from home.

They haven't won any of their last four, but have held Barnsley and Middlesbrough to draws in their last two, and would settle for a similar result on Saturday.

Blackburn have not played for two weeks and will be without Bowyer on the sidelines after he was handed a touchline ban for his conduct during his side's 2-2 draw with Barnsley last month.

The manager is likely to name an unchanged side for the game, keeping faith with Jordan Rhodes up front despite the goals drying up for the Scotsman.

Recent form

Reading: WLWWWLW

Blackburn: LLDDWD

Possible starting lineups

Reading: McCarthy; Gunter, Pearce, Gorkss, Obita; McCleary, Akpan, Williams, McAnuff; Pogrebnyak, Le Fondre

Blackburn: Robinson; Kane, Hanley, Dann, Spurr; Taylor, Lowe, Cairney, Dunn; Gestede; Rhodes

Sports Mole says: 2-1