Reading have suffered an injury setback, with the new League One campaign just over a week away.
The Royals are aiming to return to the battle for the play-offs this season after finishing 12 points off 6th last campaign.
They start their season with a tricky test against fellow promotion hopefuls, Luton Town.
With that game edging ever closer, Reading boss Leam Richardson has confirmed his side will be missing one of their young forwards for the first three months of the campaign.
Reading’s Sean Patton Out for Three Months
Richardson told the Reading Chronicle that young attacker Sean Patton has sustained a foot injury that will keep him out for a minimum of 12 weeks (three months). It was confirmed Patton had suffered a metatarsal fracture.
The 20-year-old has featured in friendlies against Farnborough, Getafe, and Woking, with a potential place in the squad this weekend against Bromley likely on the cards.
News of his injury adds further striker concern for Reading, who are without Jack Marriott, who is in training but still recovering from his back injury.
Catching the Eye Last Campaign
Patton has impressed at youth level for Reading. Last season in the Premier League 2 Division 1, he scored six goals in nine games.
His goals at that level landed him a move to National League side Aldershot Town on loan in January.
The Irish forward played six games, scoring five times. He received an average Sofascore rating of 7.27, averaging 1.8 shots per game and one shot on target per game.
Despite joining initially until the end of the season, Patton was recalled by his parent club and thrown into first team.
He played six times, starting just once for Reading in League One, failing to score a single goal.
Injured at Just the Wrong Time
Patton’s injury comes at a bad time for him.
After spending a full pre-season with the first team, he would likely have been hoping this could have been his breakthrough season in the Royals team.
Sadly for him, he will have to watch the first three months of the season from the sidelines and look to force his way into the side once he’s recovered from his injury.
