© Provided by Football League WorldTom McIntyre
Reading manager Veljko Paunovic says that defender Tom McIntyre is likely to miss the rest of the season due to injury.
McIntyre was absent from the matchday squad as the Royals played out a 1-1 draw with fellow Championship play-off hopefuls Barnsley at Oakwell on Friday, having also missed the 1-1 draw with QPR in the final game before last week's international break.
Now it seems as though the Royals are going to have to cope without McIntyre for some time to come yet, with the versatile 22-year-old now facing an extended spell on the sidelines.
Providing an update on McIntyre after that draw in Yorkshire, Paunovic was quoted by Berkshire Live as saying: "It's bad news - Tom is probably out for the rest of the season with his quad problem so that's very bad news."
So far this season, McIntyre has made 26 league appearances for Reading, scoring twice in that time.
Following that draw, Reading remain sixth in the Championship table, one point ahead of seventh placed Bournemouth, but having played a game more than the Cherries.
Next up for Paunovic's side is the visit of Derby County to The Madejski Stadium on Easter Monday.
The Verdict
This does look to be a rather considerable blow for Reading.
It does seem as though McIntyre has really stepped up for the Royals when called upon this season, becoming a big part of their push for a play-off place at the very least.
As a result, the fact they now look unlikely to have his influence to call upon between now and the end of the season, is likely to be a big loss for Paunovic's side.
Indeed, McIntyre's versatility makes this a particularly significant setback, since it leaves Reading with one less option in more than just the centre of defence, if they do pick up injuries in other positions during the busy schedule between now and the end of the season.
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