Derby are bottom of the Championship with -2 points and they face the prospect of more deductions, which could leave The Rams with an insurmountable task to avoid relegation.
On the pitch, draws have been the story of Derby’s early season as they have seen four games finish all square and they have only won on two occasions in the league this term.
With a squad that has had little investment, Wayne Rooney will be pleased with his side’s efforts this season, but he will be disappointed with their most recent result that ended in defeat.
They seemed set to hold Sheffield United to a goalless draw at the weekend, however The Blades won a penalty in the 89th minute and Billy Sharp stepped up to dispatch the spot kick to snatch all three points.
If Derby are to close the gap between them and safety then they need to find the net more regularly as they have only managed to score six league goals this season.
Reading currently have 13 points to their name and enter this fixture full of confidence after winning their last three matches.
However, their season did not start in such a positive manner as The Royals only collected four points from their first six Championship fixtures.
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Since then, their form has turned for the better and their most recent victory came at the weekend when Alen Halilovic’s goal was enough to edge out Middlesbrough.
Unlike Wednesday’s opponents, Reading are having no problems finding the net, as they have scored 16 goals this term and John Swift has netted seven of those to become the joint top-scorer in the Championship heading into the midweek set of fixtures.
Reading will feel they have a great chance of getting their fourth consecutive win on Wednesday, especially as they won both league encounters against Derby last season
