Injury watch 2025/26

[Hound]

Corrected.

Was about to make a similar quip.

Joking aside, this is a disaster for us. POC needs to return ASAP as Burns and Stickland are not good enough as a pair. I'd actually start Dorsett over Stickland.

Agree - Stickland is L2 standard at best, I'd have Dorsett & Jacob as centre half before him.

I feel a bit sorry for Stickland - seemed very much at the start of the year that he’d play a big part but agree he’s prob back of the queue now. Jacob over him would be a real kick in the teeth though.

I don’t mind Dorsett there tbh. Ahead of Jacob certainly.

[WestYorksRoyal]

Was about to make a similar quip.

Joking aside, this is a disaster for us. POC needs to return ASAP as Burns and Stickland are not good enough as a pair. I'd actually start Dorsett over Stickland.

Agree - Stickland is L2 standard at best, I'd have Dorsett & Jacob as centre half before him.

I feel a bit sorry for Stickland - seemed very much at the start of the year that he’d play a big part but agree he’s prob back of the queue now. Jacob over him would be a real kick in the teeth though.

I don’t mind Dorsett there tbh. Ahead of Jacob certainly.

I guess when Stickland played last year, the team was relatively settled and knew their jobs, which makes it easier for a younger player. That is not the case now.

[Hound]

Sounds like Dorsett is injured (again) as well

[WestYorksRoyal]

Can anyone on here play CB?

[RoyalBlue]

The way this injury crisis is growing who can we expect to be joining the backroom staff next?

https://www.wwfc.com/players/backroom-staff/

[tidus_mi2]

Can anyone on here play CB?

Only 5'7, I'd probably struggle.

[Snowflake Royal]

Agree - Stickland is L2 standard at best, I'd have Dorsett & Jacob as centre half before him.

I feel a bit sorry for Stickland - seemed very much at the start of the year that he’d play a big part but agree he’s prob back of the queue now. Jacob over him would be a real kick in the teeth though.

I don’t mind Dorsett there tbh. Ahead of Jacob certainly.

I guess when Stickland played last year, the team was relatively settled and knew their jobs, which makes it easier for a younger player. That is not the case now.

Didn't rate him at the time tbh.

[morganb]

Hunt on #ReadingFC injury list:

• Williams picked up a hamstring injury, he’ll miss probably the next 4-5 weeks.

• Garcia picked up a groin injury on Tuesday.

• Dorsett picked up something on the weekend.

• Paudie still not ready.

• Ritchie sore after Saturday

[WestYorksRoyal]

I do think injuries are not entirely luck. If a player breaks a leg or dislocates something in a big tackle, there's nothing to be done.

But muscle strains and niggles suggest there is something wrongly in conditioning, training and workload management. And we have a lot of them.

[Clyde1998]

i notice in the clubs training vid ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5blM4Lc-xwU ) that Hunt suggests (1.30 mins in) to the new players that we train with more intensity than other teams and if 'they get a kick' it is just how it is here. No idea if this contributes to the amount of injuries the team gets but surely it can't help.

Oh great, the 'old school approach'. I seem to remember P Ince adopted the same approach and that it leaked out that the sports scientists and physios were far from happy with it.

I suspect that Hunt wasn't allowed to opt for that ultra high intensity approach with the academy youngsters and rightly so.

I also suspect that, unlike Dai, Couhig and co will want to dig deep into things to try to identify why so many of their assets are getting injured. Based on what they have said about their modus operandi, they like their data and for decisions to be based on such data.

High intensity training is supposedly only useful in pre-season or when players aren't playing. Matches are effectively your high intensity training sessions; doing both high intensity training and matches will simply cause fatigue and overuse of muscles (and therefore more muscular injuries).

[JedMaxwell]

I think there's a time and place for more 'competitive' training, to give it a euphemistic name.

Early in the season, if there's been a high turnover of players, I think you probably want to see players giving it a right go in training and competing for places in the team. Equally, if you're struggling to get results or you're in a lot of competitions, you probably want to see players showing some desire in training.

However, if you've got a growing injury list or a settled XI and you're getting into a rhythm of games, and picking up results, kicking the shit out of each other in training seems a bit pointless.

As Clyde says, as the season wears on the games are the high intensity bit and training should complement it.

[MartinRdg]

Can anyone on here play CB?

Only 5'7, I'd probably struggle.

I'm 6'4 but my knees have gone....

[South Coast Royal]

Hunt on #ReadingFC injury list:

• Williams picked up a hamstring injury, he’ll miss probably the next 4-5 weeks.

• Garcia picked up a groin injury on Tuesday.

• Dorsett picked up something on the weekend.

• Paudie still not ready.

• Ritchie sore after Saturday

Poor old Matt, 20 minutes of football is a bit much at his age.

As for O'Connor it does sound as though the club is being extra, extra careful with him especially as he has a 4 year contract.

[RoyalBlue]

i notice in the clubs training vid ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5blM4Lc-xwU ) that Hunt suggests (1.30 mins in) to the new players that we train with more intensity than other teams and if 'they get a kick' it is just how it is here. No idea if this contributes to the amount of injuries the team gets but surely it can't help.

Oh great, the 'old school approach'. I seem to remember P Ince adopted the same approach and that it leaked out that the sports scientists and physios were far from happy with it.

I suspect that Hunt wasn't allowed to opt for that ultra high intensity approach with the academy youngsters and rightly so.

I also suspect that, unlike Dai, Couhig and co will want to dig deep into things to try to identify why so many of their assets are getting injured. Based on what they have said about their modus operandi, they like their data and for decisions to be based on such data.

High intensity training is supposedly only useful in pre-season or when players aren't playing. Matches are effectively your high intensity training sessions; doing both high intensity training and matches will simply cause fatigue and overuse of muscles (and therefore more muscular injuries).

I believe this was the complaint from players and some of the staff under a previous management regime. The training methods meant there was no break and opportunity to recover from the high intensity of the games.

[Mid Sussex Royal]

Oh great, the 'old school approach'. I seem to remember P Ince adopted the same approach and that it leaked out that the sports scientists and physios were far from happy with it.

I suspect that Hunt wasn't allowed to opt for that ultra high intensity approach with the academy youngsters and rightly so.

I also suspect that, unlike Dai, Couhig and co will want to dig deep into things to try to identify why so many of their assets are getting injured. Based on what they have said about their modus operandi, they like their data and for decisions to be based on such data.

High intensity training is supposedly only useful in pre-season or when players aren't playing. Matches are effectively your high intensity training sessions; doing both high intensity training and matches will simply cause fatigue and overuse of muscles (and therefore more muscular injuries).

I believe this was the complaint from players and some of the staff under a previous management regime. The training methods meant there was no break and opportunity to recover from the high intensity of the games.

Hunt admitted that the training was high intensity the other week....as it was under Ince. We had way less injuries under Selles as he's a qualified physio and probably understands more about fitness/recovery than Hunt and his goons.

Interesting all the injuries are muscle injuries rather than match impact injuries....

[tidus_mi2]

High intensity training is supposedly only useful in pre-season or when players aren't playing. Matches are effectively your high intensity training sessions; doing both high intensity training and matches will simply cause fatigue and overuse of muscles (and therefore more muscular injuries).

I believe this was the complaint from players and some of the staff under a previous management regime. The training methods meant there was no break and opportunity to recover from the high intensity of the games.

Hunt admitted that the training was high intensity the other week....as it was under Ince. We had way less injuries under Selles as he's a qualified physio and probably understands more about fitness/recovery than Hunt and his goons.

Interesting all the injuries are muscle injuries rather than match impact injuries....

I mean, if that was the issue, do we have a bunch of spineless physios not telling him it's a bad idea?

[traff]

I feel a bit sorry for Stickland - seemed very much at the start of the year that he’d play a big part but agree he’s prob back of the queue now. Jacob over him would be a real kick in the teeth though.

I don’t mind Dorsett there tbh. Ahead of Jacob certainly.

I guess when Stickland played last year, the team was relatively settled and knew their jobs, which makes it easier for a younger player. That is not the case now.

Didn't rate him at the time tbh.

I think he got a bit of sympathy for his unfortunate red in his first game which may have given him a bit of breathing space.
He just doesn't look up to it at this level for me. I described him as hapless in the Wrexham game, just seems to be one of those people to whom shit just happens! Even the most simple passes seem over precise and negative for fear he knows his own limitations.
Guarantees Stockport a one goal advantage if he starts.

[Snowflake Royal]

I guess when Stickland played last year, the team was relatively settled and knew their jobs, which makes it easier for a younger player. That is not the case now.

Didn't rate him at the time tbh.

I think he got a bit of sympathy for his unfortunate red in his first game which may have given him a bit of breathing space.
He just doesn't look up to it at this level for me. I described him as hapless in the Wrexham game, just seems to be one of those people to whom shit just happens! Even the most simple passes seem over precise and negative for fear he knows his own limitations.
Guarantees Stockport a one goal advantage if he starts.

I think over precise is a great description.

Last season he seemed to play the entire game hunched over like he was trying to be careful and anticipate everything. When you want to see your player standing tall, relaxed and comfortable - like Bindon.

[Clyde1998]

Didn't rate him at the time tbh.

I think he got a bit of sympathy for his unfortunate red in his first game which may have given him a bit of breathing space.
He just doesn't look up to it at this level for me. I described him as hapless in the Wrexham game, just seems to be one of those people to whom shit just happens! Even the most simple passes seem over precise and negative for fear he knows his own limitations.
Guarantees Stockport a one goal advantage if he starts.

I think over precise is a great description.

Last season he seemed to play the entire game hunched over like he was trying to be careful and anticipate everything. When you want to see your player standing tall, relaxed and comfortable - like Bindon.

He’s needed a loan for a while, would’ve hopefully allowed him to gain confidence in senior football without the same level of scrutiny. Whether we’d have the ability to give him a loan in January (in terms of our squad requirements) could determine his future at the club, as some good performance away from the club and regular football could revive his career with us.

[Snowflake Royal]

I think he got a bit of sympathy for his unfortunate red in his first game which may have given him a bit of breathing space.
He just doesn't look up to it at this level for me. I described him as hapless in the Wrexham game, just seems to be one of those people to whom shit just happens! Even the most simple passes seem over precise and negative for fear he knows his own limitations.
Guarantees Stockport a one goal advantage if he starts.

I think over precise is a great description.

Last season he seemed to play the entire game hunched over like he was trying to be careful and anticipate everything. When you want to see your player standing tall, relaxed and comfortable - like Bindon.

He’s needed a loan for a while, would’ve hopefully allowed him to gain confidence in senior football without the same level of scrutiny. Whether we’d have the ability to give him a loan in January (in terms of our squad requirements) could determine his future at the club, as some good performance away from the club and regular football could revive his career with us.

Also something I'd agree with.