Matchwatch : Yeovil Town (a) sponsored by one stand open

[Sutekh]

In case you've all forgotten the U-21s play at Yeovil Town tonight on the next exciting installment of the Checkacrowd Trophy

Kick off is at 7pm and it is live on BBC Radio Berkshire (least all the previous rounds have been live so cant see this one being different) if you want to follow it.

Possible team

Bond, Watson, Dickie, Cooper, Keown, Wieser, Rinomota, Frost, Barrett, Meite, Cardwell

[Saaaaaaaammmmmm]

With us now out of the FA Cup, and totally looking like bypassing the play-offs altogether and flying into automatic promotion, I reckon this might be our best chance for the Wembley dream this season

The scheduling has made this a bit awkward, as I'm pretty sure if you played in this you wouldn't be fit for Thursday night's first team game, or would you? Let's say Cooper plays the full 90 tonight do you risk putting him on the bench against QPR, what if we lose a centre-back 5 minutes in? For our youngsters are we prioritising the Checkatrade Trophy or our first team subs bench?

Jaakkola on Twitter Saturday said he was injured again so tonight looks like Moore or Bond, although Bond was on the bench for Gillingham in the first round, and I'm not sure how cup-tied rules work in this competition (although tbf does anyone?)

If you rule out players who have played already for another team in the competition, then that cup-ties Rob Dickie, who played in two of Cheltenham's group stage games. Maybe Cooper will play tonight and Dickie will take his place on the first team bench on Thursday?

Zak Jules did go to Braintree, but lasted just one start, quickly found himself on the bench, and then played for our U23s last week and was nowhere to be seen in their squad this weekend. That suggests he's back at the club. Speaking of disastrous non-league loans, I spotted Aaron Kuhl playing for our U23s against Bournemouth last week (another game our club had no interest in covering, although we did lose 0-4). No one seems to know whether he is officially back at the club (last played for Boreham Wood in October), and if so why he hasn't featured for the U23s very often (didn't play against Southampton in the PL2 or FLT)

The evidence - https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C1VBWtPXUAAYwvh.jpg:large

I'd expect the forgotten men Mendes, Gravenberch and Wieser to get a game, but they'd count as overage players, and I can't remember how many you're allowed. Meite might play 45 minutes as he has done in a few youth games, if not then Loader seems to be getting a lot of U23 action at just 16 years old

I saw Tom McIntyre on crutches outside the Madejski against Fulham last week, that's about as in depth injury news I can give you. He got injured in the win (technically a draw) over Portsmouth in the group stage. Griffin had been nowhere to be seen, but then popped up on the bench in the last round, so he might be fit. Poor Sean Long got dumped off to Lincoln the moment he came back from Cambridge, and came on as a sub in the 90th minute at the weekend

In other words I have no idea what the team will be, and I'd imagine it would be quite easy to play an ineligible player, hopefully Martin Kuhl et al know what they're doing

Tim Dellor said he'll be there tonight, at least that's something we can rely on in these uncertain times

[Hendo]

Was going to go down to this one when it was originally a 7:45 KO but as it got moved to 7:00 there was no way I was able to get there after work.

Doesn't it become a 2 legged affair soon?

[Saaaaaaaammmmmm]

Team News...

Stuart Moore (GK)
Jake Sheppard
Dom Hyam
Danzell Gravenberch
Ramarni Medford Smith
Sando Wieser
Tyler Frost
Andy Rinomhota
Josh Barrett
Andrija Novakovich
Harry Cardwell

Subs: Southwood, Howe, Griffin, Bennett, East, Loader, Smith

So it's a pretty young team compared to some previous games in this competition, in fact only 3 players have made a senior appearance for Reading (Gravenberch, Barrett & Novakovich)

I'm guessing it'll be four at the back, and maybe Barrett will join strikers Cardwell and Novakovich to form a front three

Yeovil have made four changes from their last game, I know little about any of them

[Saaaaaaaammmmmm]

We are one of five U21 teams left in the competition, with two of those facing each other this evening, and one other still actually in the previous round. We are one of three 7pm kick-offs tonight

7:00PM
Blackpool vs Wycombe Wanderers
Swansea U21 vs Wolves U21
Yeovil vs Reading U21

7:45PM
Cheltenham vs Leicester U21 (2nd Round)
Coventry vs Brighton U21
Luton vs Chesterfield
Mansfield vs Oldham
Oxford vs Scunthorpe

17th January
Cheltenham or Leicester U21 vs Bradford

The Quarter-Finals are supposedly due to take place the week of the 23rd January, but we play Fulham that midweek

If anyone cared, then I'm sure we could deem it unfair that for two consecutive rounds we have had to play in the same midweek as our first team, but then again this is the EFL. Chelsea and Leicester unsurprisingly got special treatment, hence the Foxes playing their 2nd Round weeks after everyone else (due to Champions League commitments) and Chelsea playing all their group games on different dates (due to international commitments)

[Top Flight]

Who got red carded?

[Royals and Racers]

Who got red carded?

Wieser

[Top Flight]

[Sutekh]

Who got red carded?

Wieser

According to Tim the challenge he made was utterly over the top and in a totally unthreatening area of the pitch. Guess that shows one reason why he's nowhere near the first team and perhaps why he's the one total failure of the signings since Stam arrived.

Game likely over now anyway, Yeovil are leading 1-0

[AthleticoSpizz]

Who got red carded?

Wieser

According to Tim the challenge he made was utterly over the top and in a totally unthreatening area of the pitch. Guess that shows one reason why he's nowhere near the first team and perhaps why he's the one total failure of the signings since Stam arrived.

Game likely over now anyway, Yeovil are leading 2-0

corrected for you

[Dick Habbin's hairdo]

Dim Tim warbling on about death and taxes.

Adie sounds as if he's been down the Spread.

And, yes, I remember Adie's handball on the line to get sent off .... Port Vale or the Pox?

No idea what is happening at yeovil.

Going to bed... and not paying taxes in Dubai.

Oh. Wait. Novokovokovocovich chappy just scored. 2-1.

[tidus_mi2]

Wieser

According to Tim the challenge he made was utterly over the top and in a totally unthreatening area of the pitch. Guess that shows one reason why he's nowhere near the first team and perhaps why he's the one total failure of the signings since Stam arrived.

Game might not be over now anyway, Yeovil are leading 2-1

corrected for you

Corrected for you

[Lower West]

2-1

[sandman]

Shame that a 'senior' player has seemingly ruined it for the younger players.

[AthleticoSpizz]

According to Tim the challenge he made was utterly over the top and in a totally unthreatening area of the pitch. Guess that shows one reason why he's nowhere near the first team and perhaps why he's the one total failure of the signings since Stam arrived.

Game might not be over now anyway, Yeovil are leading 2-1

corrected for you

Corrected for you

we could play this all night

[SCIAG]

Wieser manages to get worse with every passing game

I saw Tom McIntyre on crutches outside the Madejski against Fulham last week, that's about as in depth injury news I can give you. He got injured in the win (technically a draw) over Portsmouth in the group stage.

That was a different injury which only ruled him out for a couple of matches. He picked this one up late November/early December.

At first it was thought his career was over (for the second time in two years). The club paid for him to go to a second specialist who is confident that he'll play again. Last I heard, they thought he'd be available for pre-season or maaaaybe the end of this one.

Medford-Smith ahead of Griffin is and but though it does make you wonder why we renewed Griffin's contract if, as it seems, he's fourth choice behind three younger players.

[AthleticoSpizz]

1-3

[CountryRoyal]

No excuse going out to lower league opposition.

[Nameless]

There's wouldn't be if we were playing our first team !

[Lower West]

No excuse going out to lower league opposition.

In the home game in the group stages it was men vs boys. Yeovil were comfortable winners that night.