The Middlesborough-born man is suffering from a stomach injury so will be forced to miss Reading's friendlies against Gavle and Borlange in Sweden next week. He now faces a race against time to be fit for the start of the new season.
The injury was sustained whilst swimming last week, prior to the Brentford friendlies, and turned out to be worse than was first feared.
Murts could enter the new season short of match fitness. With just three weeks to go until the new campaign gets underway in earnest on August 9th, a lack of pre-season training could cost the Reading man, who has been an integral part of the line-up in the past two years.
However, Murty could play in the pre-season friendly at Bournemouth and the game at home to Southampton prior to the new campaign, as physio Jon Fearn confirmed.
"We did some running today and there were few problems, we're making sure he's ready for the start of the season and the game with Bournemouth a week on Tuesday is possible," he said, speaking to readingfc.co.uk.
Should Murty fail to regain full fitness before the start of the season, Alan Pardew could play new signing Scott Murray at right-back. The 29-year-old has played in the defence before, and showed he can defend as well as attack when in action for his new side at Griffin Park on Tuesday.