Reading will make their Premiership debut without winger Glen Little.
The former Burnley man has a hamstring injury, joining broken ankle victim Aaron Brown on the sidelines, but Brynjar Gunnarsson is available.
Stewart Downing hopes to figure for Middlebrough despite picking up a dead leg on England duty against Greece.
Midfielder Gaizka Mendieta could return from a long-standing Achilles injury, but Lee Cattermole and Ugo Ehiogu are out and Ray Parlour's a doubt.
Reading (from): Hahnemann, Stack, Murty, Sonko, Ingimarsson, Sodje, Halls, Shorey, Seol, Harper, Sidwell, Hunt, Gunnarsson, Convey, Oster, Kitson, Doyle, Lita, Long, Cox.
Middlesbrough (from): Schwarzer, Turnbull, Parnaby, Davies, Arca, Pogatetz, Taylor, Riggott, Bates, Morrison, Boateng, Rochemback, Downing, Mendieta, Johnson, Parlour, Viduka, Yakubu, Maccarone.
"Most of the experts think we will go down so that is certainly a challenge to prove them wrong.
"You can make as many guesses as you like but until you have played a couple of games and seen the level of the other teams then you don't really know.
"I think that most people would like to see more and more teams who are promoted stay up."
"I want to focus on Reading and the games ahead. There's no point in me speculating on anything else.
"The important thing to remember is that I'm very happy with the squad.
"My priority is the players here now that are in the side for Saturday. All my attention is with them."
BIG-MATCH FACTS
READING become the 40th different club to play Premier League football, and begin their tenure amongst the elite at home to a Middlesbrough side under new management.
Only eight of the 14 sides to have been promoted as champions of the second tier have survived their first season in the Premiership. Steve Coppell will be anxious to avoid the Royals from becoming the 20th promoted club to suffer immediate relegation. When this match gets underway, Reading will become only the fourth club to make their top-flight debut in the Premiership. Swindon, Barnsley and Wigan were the others, and of those only Wigan survived.
These clubs have not met since the 1997-98 season.
MIDDLESBROUGH make the 273 miles to the Madejski Stadium for Gareth Southgate's first match in charge in succession to new England coach Steve McClaren. Southgate is the only rookie manager in the highest League, although Martin O'Neill (Aston Villa) and Iain Dowie (Charlton) are also selecting their first teams for new clubs.
The Teessiders were the busiest of all top-flight clubs last season. The losing Uefa Cup finalists, FA Cup semi-finalists and League Cup quarter-finalists ended an arduous season of 64 matches without any silverware.
Half of the 12 League matches staged between these clubs have ended in draws. Boro have lost only once away to the Royals - that being their first ever meeting on 20 April 1927, when Reading prevailed 2-1 in the second tier of the league.
Referee: Mark Halsey (Lancashire)
SEQUENCES/RECENT FORM
READING
1. Reading became the first English club to accumulate 106 points in a season.
2. They ended the Coca Cola Championship season 16 points clear at the top, and 25 points ahead of the play-off zone.
3. Won 31 of 46 League games last term, securing promotion by 25 March.
4. This is their 80th season as a League club, and first ever in the top division.
5. Under Coppell, the Royals missed out on the play-offs by three places and three points in 2003-04, and by one place and three points in 2004-05, before last season's record-breaking campaign.
6. Lost their opening game against Plymouth 12 months ago, then went unbeaten in 33 (25 wins, eight draws).
7. On an 11-match undefeated League run (six wins, five draws).
8. Not lost in 22 League games at the Madejski.
MIDDLESBROUGH
1. One of 11 founder members of the Premiership competing this season.
2. Contested all but three of the 14 Premier League campaigns.
3. Made steady progress from 2000-01, finishing 14th, 12th, 11th and 11th, and then a Premiership best seventh in 2004-05. But last season could only manage 14th.
4. This is the Teessiders 97th League season, 58th in the top flight, 12th in the Premiership and ninth in a row in the highest League.
5. Attempting to win their opening fixture for the first time in six years.
6. Drawn the initial fixture in each of the last two seasons.
7. Posted one opening day victory in eight seasons (1-3 at Coventry in August 2000).
KEY PLAYER NOTES/POTENTIAL MILESTONES
READING
Dave KITSON was Reading's leading scorer last season with 22 goals - 18 in the League.
If he participates, Ivar INGIMARSSON will be playing on the eve of his 29th birthday.
If he takes the field, James HARPER will be making his 200th League appearance in a Reading shirt.
MIDDLESBROUGH
YAKUBU was Middlesbrough's leading scorer last season with 19 goals - 13 in the Premiership.
YAKUBU needs a double to reach 50 English League goals.
If he plays, YAKUBU will be making his 150th appearance for English clubs (Portsmouth and Middlesbrough).
HEAD TO HEAD TOTALS
League: Reading 2 wins, Middlesbrough 4, Draws 6
Prem: Reading 0 wins, Middlesbrough 0, Draws 0
HEAD TO HEAD at Reading
League: Reading 1 win, Middlesbrough 2, Draws 3
Prem: Reading 0 wins, Middlesbrough 0, Draws 0
Preview from the BBC.