Huddersfield Town will welcome the relegation-confirmed Reading at John Smith’s Stadium next week.
These two sides have squared up 22 times in the past with Huddersfield picking only six wins and their visitors on Monday registering 10 victories. While this clash will certainly add to the tally, it is an insignificant one considering that the final spots have more or less been decided.
Huddersfield Town were battling relegation midway into the season but they have managed to turn around their fortunes. Appointed in February, Neil Warnock was tasked with securing Huddersfield Town’s Championship status and he has managed to do exactly that with his side picking up 22 massive points from his 14 games in charge. That being said, with Warnock set to leave, Huddersfield Town will look to end his stay on a high.
The Yorkshire outfit have blown hot and cold in their last five games with Warnock’s men picking up three wins from their last six and a loss. They are on a two-match winning streak and it was Danny Ward’s winner against Sheffield United that sealed Huddersfield’s Championship status but handed Reading the drop. So, Reading are confirmed to finish 22 on the table while Huddersfield will most likely secure an 18th-place finish. This game is a dead rubber but both sides will look to end their respective campaigns on a high.
Warnock, ahead of his final game in charge of Huddersfield, will likely welcome Josh Ruffles and Joe Hungbo back into the XI. The former Middlesborough manager though, will be without Oliver Turton, Faustino Anjorin, Duane Holmes, Anthony Knockaert, and Yuta Nakayama for this clash.
Reading have had a disappointing campaign and must now prepare for their next season in League One. The Berkshire outfit never really recovered from the six-point deduction they had last month and were the victims of Huddersfield’s crucial 1-0 victory over already-promoted Sheffield United. So, Monday will be a case of them trying to finish their disappointing season in the best way possible before bidding the Championship goodbye.
Replacing Paul Ince, Noel Hunt has not been able to do the same recovery job that Warnock managed at Huddersfield Town. Reading are winless in their last 12 games and have lost two of their last six games. Thus, it is safe to say that the visitors are not exactly in the best of forms at the moment. The onus will be on Hunt’s men to secure their first victory after a 12-game winless run.
Hunt could welcome Andy Caroll back into the mix after the Englishman served his suspension last game. Dejan Tetek, Liam Moore, Sam Hutchinson, Ovie Ejaria, Tom Ince, Dean Bouzanis, and Abdul Rahman Baba have all been ruled out of this final-day clash so expect Hunt to give some of the academy graduates chances to impress on Monday.
Jordan Rhodes will be the player to watch out for the hosts. The 33-year-old has scored six goals this term and will look to add to his tally to end his campaign on a high. Rhodes is the top-scorer for Huddersfield this season and so it will only be apt if he finds at least another goal in this final-day clash. He has averaged 245 minutes per goal this campaign.
Andy Caroll will be Reading’s most important player on the pitch on Monday if they are to find a win. Caroll has scored nine goals this term and with him set to return to the XI, the 34-year-old will look to end his side’s 12-game winless run.
Expert Opinion: Huddersfield Town will be playing at home and are in a good run of form at the moment so will look to pile on Reading’s misery. With their visitors winless from their last 12 games, the onus will be on them to finish Neil Warnock’s tenure on a high.
Championship