James Earnshaw

Reading midfielder Lewis Wing believes his strike against Crawley Town- which has won the EFL Goal of the Month competition- is possibly the 'best of his career.' The 29-year-old is a firm fan favourite and won Player of the Season in his debut campaign last time out. Renowned for his lethal finishing from distance, the former Wycombe Wanderers and Middlesbrough star has scored some memorable goals so far, particularly from free-kicks. He has netted three goals so far this season, finishing on 11 last season. However, his strike in a 4-1 win over Crawley Town last month beat off stiff competition to win Goal of the Month for October in League One.

Former Reading favourite Chris Casper has been appointed Academy Manager at his hometown club, Burnley. A Manchester United youngster, Casper impressed while on loan with the Royals in 1998 and re-joined permanently for £300,000. Becoming a firm favourite amongst supporters, the defender broke his leg at Cardiff City on Boxing Day 1999 and was forced to retire aged just 24. The former England Under-21 international had short spells in management but was Director of Football at Salford City until this year, working alongside the likes of Gary Neville, Nicky Butt and Ryan Giggs.

Reading Academy has been ranked among the top 10 in the country, according to OLBG’s best academy index. The jewel in the club's crown for over 25 years, almost 100 graduates have appeared in the first-team, including regulars this season such as Jeriel Dorsett, Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan and Sam Smith. Category One and reaching the semi-final of PL2, it will be no surprise to see the Royals ranked so highly seeing as they are regularly more than holding their own against the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City. To assess the top academies in English football, OLBG data analysts ranked clubs on five key metrics: number of academy graduates in the squad, league appearances, matches per player, total player value, and the percentage of squad value from academy players.

Reading boss Ruben Selles has issued a positive injury update on Amadou Mbengue and Sam Smith, with the pair expected to be involved after the international break. Central defender Mbengue has featured in every game this season but supporters were concerned after the 24-year-old limped off during Tuesday's 3-0 win over Newport County in the EFL Trophy. Also walking a suspension tight rope, the fan favourite has four yellow cards and will miss a game if he picks up a fifth before matchday 19. However, supporters can let off a sigh of relief as Selles has confirmed Mbengue is 'alright' and was taken off as a precaution.

Reading defender Tyler Bindon had a night to remember for his country as New Zealand hammered Vanuata 8-1 in World Cup qualification, with the youngster getting on the scoresheet. 19-year-old Bindon has already racked up over 60 appearances for the Royals since breaking into the first-team last season, finishing in the top three of the Player of the Season poll for last year. Captaining the side on occasion this season, Bindon scored the opener in a 2-0 FA Cup win over Fleetwood Town earlier in the month.

Harborough Town have sold over 1,300 tickets for their FA Cup second round visit to Reading next month in the first evening of sales. The seventh-tier side beat Tonbridge Angels in the first round and the Southern League Premier Division Central outfit are to enjoy a big day at former Premier League Reading. Not selected for live television coverage, kick-off has been moved to 2pm on Sunday, December 1. However, Royals supporters are left frustrated at the ticket prices, with less than 3,000 turning out for the first round win over Fleetwood Town, the lowest weekend turnout of the modern era.

Reading boss Ruben Selles has spoken of the squad's plan during the upcoming international break, hoping the players get some down time before returning to training on Monday. The Royals have battled through a hectic month with a thin squad and continue to fight among the play-off chasers heading into a full-on festive schedule. This will include a new EFL Trophy tie, which the club booked with a 3-0 win over Newport County on Tuesday. Charlie Savage (Wales), Tyler Bindon (New Zealand) and Basil Tuma (Malta) will be representing their countries, with Saturday's scheduled match with Shrewsbury Town postponed as a result. Speaking on his plans for the coming 10 day period, Selles said: "We get some days off now and they will have their individual programmes and some of them will be coming and training in the next couple of days to work on some areas they need to strengthen or keep their levels. We will be off analysing what has been a busy last period and the next period. We will try and get some fresh air and hopefully on Monday we can open the door and go again.