Reading have confirmed their upcoming League One fixtures against Wycombe Wanderers and Bradford City will proceed as scheduled, despite three first-team players being called up for international duty. Manager Leam Richardson has decided against requesting a postponement, meaning the Royals will field a depleted side for the games.
Andy Rinomhota, Charlie Savage and Jeriel Dorsett will all be absent during the extended break. Rinomhota, who has started all six of Reading's league games this season, joins Zimbabwe for African Cup of Nations qualifiers. Savage, recalled by Wales for Nations League games, has made six substitute appearances. Defender Dorsett, with two league starts, is away with Montserrat.
EFL rules permit clubs to postpone if three or more players are called up, a provision that has led to five of this Saturday's nine League One fixtures being called off. Richardson, however, is backing his squad depth. "Football is a squad game and we have confidence in the players available to us," the Reading boss said. He added, "It's better for the supporters too. Saturday afternoon is the ideal time to play football."
The decision provides schedule stability for a Reading side sitting 8th in the table on 10 points. Their next test is a trip to 14th-placed Wycombe Wanderers, a fixture they drew 1-1 with in August. Reading's recent form includes a 2-0 win over Notts County, with Jack Marriott scoring both goals to take his season tally to eight. The club's next match is at Adams Park on 26 September. Fans can view the full fixtures list and check the latest standings.
