‘End Of The Season’ – Reading Face Fresh Injury Woes
Reading’s star striker, Jack Marriott, is set to be sidelined for an extended period, although the club has yet to confirm exactly how long he will be out of action. This development comes at a crucial stage for the Royals as they prepare for a pivotal League One clash against fellow play-off contenders, Plymouth Argyle, on Saturday.
Marriott, who has been in outstanding form this season and was recently nominated for the League One Player of the Month award for February, has already missed Reading’s last three matches. Manager Liam Richardson delivered the news ahead of the weekend game, but it did little to ease concerns among supporters.
The timing of Marriott’s injury is particularly unfortunate for the Berkshire-based side, who are currently pressing for a top-six finish and a play-off spot. Initially, Reading managed to cope well without their leading scorer, recording a dramatic victory over Bradford City to close the gap to the Bantams. They then followed that with another win at Luton Town, powered by a standout performance from Marriott’s replacement, Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan, who notched his first senior hat-trick.
However, Reading’s momentum stalled in midweek when they missed a prime opportunity to climb into the play-off positions. They unexpectedly lost to Mansfield Town, who were coming off a tough FA Cup tie against Arsenal. Despite this setback, Reading remain just a point behind sixth-placed Huddersfield Town, as both Stevenage and Wycombe Wanderers also failed to secure wins.
Speaking ahead of the clash with Plymouth, Richardson reflected on the challenge of losing a key striker mid-season, drawing parallels with his time at Wigan Athletic. He said:
> “He’s obviously been with the medical team, and we’ve had the findings that he’s suffered another recurrence of a hamstring injury, which is disappointing. We don’t know the exact length of time he will be out. It certainly won’t be just the next week or two, but hopefully, things will go well, and we might see him back towards the latter end of the season. At the moment, it’s frustrating for Jack.
> When I was at Wigan, we lost our striker, Charlie Wyke, around November, and we ended up going on to win the league. Fingers crossed we can replicate that here.”
Can Reading Manage Without Marriott?
Losing one of League One’s most prolific forwards is always a significant blow. While Reading did manage a five-match unbeaten run during his earlier absence this season, Marriott has been a key contributor to their recent form, registering 13 goal contributions in 14 league starts since December. His goals have been instrumental in keeping Reading in contention for a play-off spot, including a memorable hat-trick against Wycombe Wanderers last month.
With the play-offs still within reach, the timing of Marriott’s return is crucial. Reading face Cardiff City at the Select Car Leasing Stadium with just three games left in the season—a match that would be ideal for welcoming their talisman back if he can recover in time. Meanwhile, if Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan can continue to deliver the kind of attacking performances he showed against Luton, Reading may still navigate the final stretch successfully without their former Derby County striker.
