Reading are set to be without Randell Williams and Benn Ward for the remainder of the League One season due to injuries.
It’s a particularly big blow for Williams, who has already had a spell on the sidelines this year.
What Has Happened?
Williams is an experienced performer at League One level, playing in this division with Bolton Wanderers and Leyton Orient last term. Nevertheless, he went into the 25/26 campaign without a club following his release from the East London outfit. That run was ended when Reading snapped him up on a short-term contract in November, and extended that deal until next summer earlier in 2026.
The Berkshire outfit were 20th when he arrived, but have turned their form around since. Starring on the left and right wing, he scored in the comfortable victory at Blackpool before spending six weeks on the sidelines. Once again returning in good form, Williams bagged another goal against Plymouth Argyle. But manager Leam Richardson confirmed to BBC Radio Berkshire that he will play no further part this season.
Ward was another Royal to arrive midway through the season, in entirely different circumstances. One of the most sought-after defenders in League Two, the 22-year-old joined Reading from Accrington Stanley at the end of the January transfer window, settling into the side in recent weeks. After playing his first three matches at the heart of defence, he moved to left-back before being withdrawn before the half-hour mark at Burton Albion last week.
Who Else Is Out?
Reading have been grinding out results in recent weeks to edge closer to the play-off places, and Richardson’s side reached the top six by defeating Burton a week ago. But another side known for hard-fought victories, Stevenage, leapfrogged the Royals into sixth position on Saturday with a late winner in Hertfordshire.
In recent weeks, the Berkshire outfit have had to cope without 16-goal striker Jack Marriott. The third top goalscorer in League One has played far fewer matches than most of his rivals, and his absence was expected to hit the Royals hard. Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan stepped up to the task with a hat-trick at Luton Town earlier in March, before grabbing the late winner against the Brewers.
The international break gives some teams a chance to reset, but not the Royals. They host relegation-threatened Wigan Athletic, with the fitness of Jeriel Dorsett unknown after he made way against Stevenage. Haydon Roberts will remain out, with Richardson revealing last week that his recovery from a hamstring isn’t going ‘as quick as we’d like.’ Reading face crunch encounters against Huddersfield Town and Lincoln City over Easter, which will go some way to deciding their season.
