Watford will assess Lloyd Doyley, who continues to be troubled by a hamstring problem, so Adam Thompson is standing by for his full league debut.
Will Buckley and youngster Michael Bryan are out with ankle injuries.
MATCH PREVIEW
Both these sides are looking for their first win in six matches, and to get back into the play-off race after losing ground in recent weeks.
Watford looked like promotion material in December and in last month's 3-0 victory against Derby. But that was their last win, and they have picked up only two points from a possible 15 since.
Hornets boss Malky Mackay, who celebrates his 39th birthday on Saturday, has seen his team suffer back-to-back away defeats. And tough assignments they were too: at promotion-chasing Cardiff and Nottingham Forest.
Reading are immediately below Watford in the table and have also not won since a 3-0 victory last month - in their case against Doncaster. That was one of only seven of their 31 league games that has not either been drawn or decided by a single goal.
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
• This is the 114th competitive meeting of these clubs. Reading have won 45 of the previous 113 - one more than Watford.
• Reading have won only one of their last nine league matches against the Hornets.
Reading
• Reading are yet to lose a Championship match this season after scoring the opening goal.
• Their win against Burnley is the Royals' only home victory against a team currently above them in the table.
• Winger Jobi McAnuff is set to face his former club.
Watford
• Like Reading, Watford have opened the scoring in 13 league games this season and not lost any of them.
• The Hornets have netted 56 goals in 30 Championship games. That is an average of 1.87 goals per game - the best in the division.
• A start for Don Cowie would be the 300th of his career.
Source: BBC Sport
Source: BBC Sport