Reading captain Andy Yiadom is available to make his long-awaited first-team return tomorrow.
The 33-year-old has not featured since April after suffering injury during a 2-0 win at Bristol Rovers.
Since then, the club captain has worked his way back and featured in the last three Under-21 matches, incrementally increasing his load until lasting the full 90 minutes in Monday's 3-0 defeat to West Ham United.
The Royals sit ninth in League One with 14 matches remaining, only three points outside the play-offs ahead of the trip to Lancashire.
While expecting him to start is perhaps too much, the Ghana international is at least available for selection.
????Subscribe to the Reading Chronicle for £2 for 2 months in this new flash sale offer.
Benefits include an ad-light experience, the e-edition of the newspaper, unlimited access to our content and a reader's rewards scheme ????
Full details here ????https://t.co/nmbubwaDw4
— Reading Chronicle (@rdgchronicle) February 25, 2025
"We have Yids coming back- he completed 90 minutes on Monday. He is available because our next game is Saturday. I spoke to Yids and it’s important that we push him but don’t shove him, he’s been out a long time. He is ticking boxes, but he qualifies now as he’s played three games in the Under-21s.
"Having someone like him in the squad and around it, speaking to the younger ones. It’s a plus whether he’s in the squad, on the bench or just misses out. The fact he’s back with us is a good thing."
Alongside the skipper, forward Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan should be okay to feature at the Brick Community Stadium.
Still early in his return from a long-term injury, the wide man had a nasty cut on his head during last week's 0-0 draw with Birmingham City.
While concussion is not an issue, the staff will need to check his eye and the swelling ahead of giving him the all-clear.
"Kelvin has a knock," Hunt confirmed. We will see how he is tomorrow [Friday]. He is fine concussion-wise, we just have to make sure his eye opens enough, and he seems good enough. We will see how he is tomorrow in training."
The Latics are unbeaten in three matches and sat 14th but Reading won the reverse fixture in Berkshire in August.