The match pack for Fulham v Reading includes team news, statistics, manager quotes, odds and our prediction.
The first leg of the Sky Bet Championship play-off semi-final kicks off at 1730 BST at Craven Cottage, live on Sky Sports 2.
Fulham v Reading: Our prediction
Our Nick Hext writes... I don’t think there’s much between the Sky Bet Championship play-off contenders and that’s why I’m surprised to see Reading as big as 11/2 in the promotion betting.
The Royals finished the season in third but they are still underestimated as we head into the play-off campaign.
Fulham, who ended up five points behind Reading in fifth, are the 15/8 favourites to win promotion to the Premier League but I just don’t see them as such big favourites in this semi-final tie.
The Cottagers produced some scintillating displays during the run-in to overtake Leeds for the final spot, including wins on the road at Norwich, Sheffield Wednesday and Huddersfield, but the Royals are in decent form of their own.
Reading have won seven of their previous nine matches and striker Yann Kermorgant ended the season as the star player in the Championship with nine goals in those nine contests.
The Frenchman is the key man for the Royals’ chances of progressing to Wembley and I think he gives them a real chance in this tie.
Reading’s strength is at home but they’ve still got a strong record on the road, winning 10 of their 23 away games in the league this season. That’s behind only Newcastle, Brighton and Fulham themselves in terms of the number of away successes.
Fulham’s home form also isn’t impressive for a promotion contender. They’ve only won two of their last six games at Craven Cottage, losing 3-1 to Wolves in the middle of March and also being held to draws by Leeds, Blackburn and Brentford.
This helps the 5/1 for Reading to win the first leg make some appeal to me.
I’m predicting a closely contested couple of matches but the prices don’t reflect that and I’d rather have the Royals at 5/1 to win just one game at Fulham on Saturday than the marginally bigger odds for them to have to come out on top in the two-legged tie and the play-off final.
There is a risk that Fulham will be at their barnstorming best, as they were when beating Reading 5-0 in December, but Slavisa Jokanovic’s men can be contained providing Reading are at their most resolute.
It’s only worth a small interest in the Royals, this is still a side that somehow managed to lose 7-1 at Norwich just over a month ago, but I think it’s worth the risk.
Prediction: Fulham 1-2 Reading
Fulham v Reading: Team news
Fulham will be without defenders Ragnar Sigurdsson and Michael Madl for the play-off semi-final first leg against Reading.
Sigurdsson will miss out at Craven Cottage after suffering a calf problem and Madl is nursing an ankle injury.
Boss Slavisa Jokanovic does not expect either player to be fit for the second leg on Tuesday, but they might be available at Wembley should Fulham reach the final.
Jokanovic otherwise has a full-strength squad available.
Reading winger Garath McCleary is in contention despite missing the 4-2 win over Burton with a groin problem.
Skipper Paul McShane (calf) and midfielder Joey van den Berg (hamstring) played 45 minutes each against Albion to prove their fitness.
Stephen Quinn is also close to returning after a knee problem and Deniss Rakels is back in training following a broken ankle.
Winger Callum Harriott remains sidelined by a hamstring injury.
Fulham v Reading: Manager quotes
Slavisa Jokanovic (Fulham)
On Chris Martin: "Everyone knows Martin's situation, he is fully committed with us and is fighting for a space in the team.
"We are confident he can help, and so is he.
"He had a confused situation in the winter but now everything is clear and he is only thinking about his team-mates and Fulham.
"They're happy with him and we expect he will be ready for these three games. I always had good opinion about him.
"We are not so experienced in this situation, he is one of the most experienced and he can be useful for us in these play-off games."
On Saturday's game: "This is a cup game and its not normal game.
"We must understand the situation and I don't expect everything will be done after first game, so we must be ready for 180 minutes or more.
"At the end we must play the game and respect this kind of situation."
On Ryan Sessegnon: "If we get promoted, it's the best way to keep him.
"I've talked many times about him and personally I believe he is in the right place, he doesn't need to change in this moment.
"It will depend on different sides. For myself, I think we will fight to be working with him next season.
"Ryan Sessegnon is fully committed with us and is working hard."
On pitching the youngster into play-off combat: "This player is a strong character, I don't have any problem putting him in the team in this game.
"He showed in the past he can play with all kinds of pressure, if he is in the team it won't be strange.
"He will be a special player in the future. Right now he is a good project and has huge space in front of him to improve.
"He works very well and is only 16 but his mind is like an experienced player. He has a bright future."
Jaap Stam (Reading)
On this season: "Throughout the season you notice how players are getting better, and that you can make that extra step to get higher in the table.
"Not that I said we had to do that this season. Being 10th would have been a good achievement from the team already. Ending up third in the league is a great achievement.
"But you still see progress with a lot of players in the squad and as a group they are learning a lot. We still need to do that.
"From this season, going into the play-offs, it's a new experience and we can learn from this as well."
On the play-offs: "You have to have a different mindset because when you go into a league game, you can be more open than these games.
"The players need to know that we need to do it in two games. The choices in the two games they'll need to make means they have to be disciplined.
"If you play in a semi-final, you can reach the final and basically it's a the same.
"The rules are not like European rules but you need to think like that.
"The first game you play away from home, people are saying you need to not concede too many and get a good result and then finish it off at home.
"It doesn't always work like that because still you are playing against a very good side and it's not a guarantee that at home you can finish it off.
"Players need to have a certain approach in these two games."
Asked what would happen should Reading fail to secure promotion and a top-flight club come calling this summer, Stam said: "I don't know."I don't really want to think about it, it's not there. So we will cross that bridge when we come to it.
"I still have a contract for another season and there's nothing going on. If it's up to me for now I'm still over here, I'm enjoying my time here and we are working towards something.
"It would be nice if we can do it straight away this season, but If it's not going to happen then maybe next season depending on what the owners can do with the club."
On being play-off underdogs with the bookmakers: "I don't mind that. I'm not reading what people are writing about us, or Fulham, and I'm not really interested either.
"I'm interested in the team, what we can do, how we have played against Fulham and how we can make it difficult for them to get a good result so we can get to the final.
"We know it's not going to be easy, Fulham are a quality team.
"They've been looking to end up in the top six for several seasons, they've been in the Premier League for years already, they have money to spend so it's logical for them to have that ambition as well.
"There is no pressure on us to get there straight away, but if you have the chance, then you want to take it and that's what we want to do.
"We are ready for it. As a club, as a player, you want to play games at a certain level - and here we are."
Fulham v Reading: Opta facts
Fulham beat Reading 5-0 at Craven Cottage in the regular league season, with Chris Martin scoring twice for them.
Reading’s only win in their last five Championship fixtures against Fulham came in their most recent meeting in January, where they recorded a 1-0 home victory (D1 L3).
The team that finished sixth in the Championship has won promotion via the play-offs just once in the last 11 seasons – Blackpool in 2009/10.
The team to finish third in the second tier of English football has won the play-offs more times than any other finishing position (10 of 28 – 36%).
This is Fulham’s first play-off campaign since 1997/98, when they lost in the third-tier semi-finals against Grimsby under the stewardship of Kevin Keegan.
Reading will be embarking upon their sixth venture into the Football League play-offs and fifth in the second tier. The Royals have failed to win promotion on all six occasions, most recently losing 2-4 vs Swansea in the 2010/11 final.
The Royals have lost two play-off finals in the second tier, a tally beaten only by Sheffield United (3).
Chris Martin scored in both legs of the 2013/14 Championship play-off semi-final against Brighton for Derby, scoring two goals as the Rams reached the final.
Fulham ended the Championship season on an unbeaten run of six matches, winning five.
Jaap Stam’s side also ended the season in good form, winning seven of their final nine Championship matches (L2).
Fulham v Reading: Sky Bet odds
Fulham are the 8/13 favourites with Sky Bet to win at home, while Reading are priced at 17/4 and the draw is 3/1. Chris Martin is the favourite to score the first goal, while for Reading Yann Kermorgant is seen as the most likely at 13/2. Tom Cairney to score outside the penalty area has been enhanced from 5/1 to 7/1 in Sky Bet’s Price Boosts. The Cottagers are considered 13/8 favourites to gain promotion via the play-offs, while Jaap Stam’s men are the outsiders at 5/1.