Port Vale come to the Select Car Leasing Stadium to play Reading on late Tuesday in terrible form, having collected just two points from their last six games.
The visitors have drawn two and lost four of their last six fixtures, while the Royals have two wins and three draws.
Vale are 22nd in the table after 30 games, of which they have won eight and drawn seven, earning 31 points.
Reading are eight places ahead of the Valiants in 14th, with 10 wins and nine draws putting them on 39 points.
With 32 goals in 30 games so far this season, the visitors are scoring at below the league average rate with 1.1 goals per game. And they are conceding more than average, letting in 48 goals at a rate of 1.6 per game.
The Royals, meanwhile, are average scorers, with 1.3 goals per game. They have conceded 1.5 goals per game.
Reading's last match was on Saturday, a 4-1 loss against Portsmouth, with Charlie Savage getting the goal for the Royals.
Vale lost 3-2 against Cheltenham Town last time out, also on Saturday, with Curtis Davies (own goal) and Nathan Smith on the scoresheet.
Tuesday's match will be refereed by Ross Joyce, who has taken charge of 12 League One games so far this season, issuing four red cards and booking 57 players. He has awarded two penalties.
The last Vale game Joyce refereed was the 0-0 draw away at Blackpool on August 15. He is yet to oversee a match featuring Reading this season.
Reading v Port Vale
League One | Select Car Leasing Stadium
Tuesday, 20 February 2024 @ 8.00pm
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