Reading will be looking to build on a strong season under the management of Veljko Paunovic last term, after narrowly missing out on a top-six finish in the Championship. 

The Royals finished seventh in the second tier standings, which will have been slightly frustrating for both Paunovic and the Madejski Stadium, as their side had occupied a spot in the top-six for the majority of the 2020/21 campaign.

It could be an interesting summer ahead for the Berkshire-based side, as they look to keep hold of their key players, whilst also looking to add much-needed depth to their squad on limited finances.

We take an early look at what Reading's starting XI could look like against Stoke City on the opening day of the Championship season.

Find out which player starts us off between the posts for Reading, on the next page....

Rafael is highly-likely to be Veljko Paunovic's first-choice goalkeeper for the majority of the 2021/22 season.

The former Brazilian international made 45 appearances in all competitions for the Berkshire-based side last term, as they narrowly missed out on a top-six finish in the Championship.

Rafael kept 17 clean sheets in total for the Royals last season, and will be hoping he can play his part in the club's promotion bid this season.

He'll be pushed hard for his starting spot by Luke Southwood, who has signed a new contract with Reading over the summer.

Andy Yiadom is likely to be trusted at right-back for their season-opener against Stoke City, with the former Barnsley man returning to fitness towards the end of the 2020/21 season.

Yiadom's experience in the Reading defence has been crucial to aiding the development of the likes of Tom Holmes and Tom McIntyre, and he'll be hoping he can stay injury-free for the majority of this year's campaign.

Tomas Esteves has returned to FC Porto from his loan spell at the Madejski Stadium, and it'll be interesting to see whether Paunovic looks to add another right-back to his side to challenge Yiadom for his starting spot.

Liam Moore is likely to be one of the first names on Veljko Paunovic's team-sheet this season, with the former Leicester City man captaining the club for a number of years now.

Moore made 33 appearances in all competitions for the Berkshire-based side last term, and he would have been as frustrated as the club's supporters at the end of the campaign, as they missed out on a top-six finish in the Championship.

His experience and leadership qualities are always useful to the Reading team, and he'll be keen to recapture his best run of form, after some inconsistent showings at times during the 2020/21 season for the Royals.

Tom McIntyre could be set for a start in their first league match of the 2021/22 campaign, with the youngster catching the eye with a number of strong performances for the Royals in recent seasons.

He found regular minutes hard to come by at times during the 2020/21 season, but is clearly rated highly at the Madejski Stadium, with it being claimed by Berkshire Live that McIntyre is set to sign a new contract with the club, with his current deal with the Royals being set to expire at the end of this month.

Michael Morrison is another strong option for Reading to have in defence, but this upcoming season could see McIntyre given his chance to impress on a regular basis for Veljko Paunovic's men.

Ethan Bristow could be the player to benefit from Omar Richards' departure this summer. Richards caught the eye with a number of strong performances for the Royals, and that saw him earn a move to German giants Bayern Munich on a free transfer, with his contract at the Madejski Stadium expiring at the end of the month.

With finances likely to be tight this summer at Reading, it wouldn't come as much of a surprise to see Paunovic turn to another academy prospect to throw into the first-team ahead of the new season.

Bristow featured for Reading in their FA Cup match against Luton Town, and it wouldn't come as a surprise to see him be given an opportunity to impress this term.

Josh Laurent is another player that is almost a certain starter for their league opener against Stoke City on Saturday 7th August.

The midfielder arrived at the Madejski Stadium on a free transfer from League One side Shrewsbury Town, and it's safe to say that he wasted no time in making a positive impact with Reading.

Laurent went on to make 46 appearances for the Berkshire-based side, and will be hoping to go from strength to strength with them moving forwards.

Laurent is out of contract at the end of the 2021/22 season, and you would imagine that the club will be looking to tie him down to a new deal at some point in the near future.

Andy Rinomhota struck up an impressive partnership in the centre of midfield with Josh Laurent, and that's expected to remain that way heading into the new season.

The Leeds-born midfielder made 43 appearances in all competitions for the Royals last term, and will be hoping that he can remain a regular in Veljko Paunovic's plans.

At the age of 24, he's now a well-established member of the senior squad, and his hard work-ethic in the centre of midfield often goes unnoticed.

He's another player that is an almost certain starter for Reading when they take on Stoke City on the opening day of the season.

Curtis could be a potential new signing for Reading this summer, with the Portsmouth winger catching the eye with some impressive performances for the League One side in recent seasons.

Reading have previously been credited with interest in landing his signature, although they face a tough ask to strike a deal, with the likes of Blackburn Rovers and Derby County also keen on signing him.

Michael Olise's future seems 'up in the air' heading towards the new season, and it'll be interesting to see whether the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea are to reignite their interest in landing his signature.

It wouldn't come as a surprise to see Olise move on this summer, as Reading look to cash-in on one or two players to ease their financial situation. Curtis could prove to be the ideal replacement for the Royals' talisman, although it remains to be seen as to whether they'll target a deal for him if Olise remains at the Madejski Stadium.

Yakou Meite is a player that can prove to be a real handful for opposition defenders when he's at his best on a consistent basis.

But the Ivorian international has found regular game time hard to come by with the Royals in recent months, with Meite struggling with various injury problems.

When he has been fit though, he has impressed with Veljko Paunovic's side, whether that be in a wide position, or in the central striking role.

Meite scored 12 goals in 25 appearances for Reading last term, and will be hoping he can stay injury-free heading into the new season.

Ovie Ejaria might not contribute as many goals as he'd like with the Royals, but he's certainly made a positive impact in his time with the club so far.

The former Liverpool midfielder has caused opposition defenders a number of problems in recent seasons with his trickery on the ball.

But his defensive side of the game was on display in the 2020/21 season, and he'll be hoping he can build on that heading into the new league campaign.

If Ejaria can add goals to his game, then you have to imagine that Reading will be challenging for promotion into the Premier League once again.

Lucas Joao's start with Reading in the 2020/21 season was nothing short of remarkable.

The forward went on to score 22 goals in all competitions for the Berkshire-based side, as they narrowly missed out on a top-six finish in the Championship.

That doesn't tell the whole picture though, as Joao only scored once in his final ten appearances of the campaign, and missed some golden opportunities to see the Royals pick up valuable points.

But if they can keep hold of him over the summer, then he'll be a certain starter for Paunovic's side throughout the upcoming campaign.