Reading FC striker Sam Smith is set to miss a few weeks of action after he sustained a foot injury in the Royals’ last home match.
The forward was left out of the squad as the Royals’ run of three wins in a row came to an end with a 4-1 loss at Stockport County on Tuesday night.
Smith has been a pivotal figure for the club since making his return last summer and netted 15 times in 34 League One matches in the 2023/24 campaign.
He has made a decent start to the 2024/25 season and has found the net five times in 12 League One matches to help Ruben Selles’ to sit in 9th place after the first 13 matches.
Speaking to BBC Radio Berkshire after Reading’s midweek defeat, Selles said: “He (Sam Smith) got a kick in his feet at the weekend and he woke up on Sunday with a big foot and was not able to work.
“We expect him to be two or three weeks out so let’s see if he can play at Stevenage or if we have to wait for the next one.
“Sam is a key player for us, but we will not make excuses.
“There are others, Jayden (Wareham) did an excellent job at Exeter last week.
“Things happen and we have to cope with them.”