Reading's four-game unbeaten run in the Championship came to an end last night, as they fell to a 1-0 defeat at relegation-threatened side Derby County last night.

In a game where the Royals struggled to create any clear-cut chances and conceding a soft goal in the 33rd minute, there were only a couple of standout performers in this game, with plenty of end-to-end action early on at Pride Park.

They will be desperate to react to this result against a struggling Cardiff City side - and one place where performance levels are likely to be maintained is in the Berkshire side's midfield.

 

 

When everyone is fit, Tom Dele-Bashiru, Josh Laurent, Andy Rinomhota and Danny Drinkwater will all be competing for a spot in the middle of the park, a huge change from last term when Laurent and Rinomhota were two of the first names on the team sheet.

An injury crisis in defence, Laurent's ability to play at centre-back and Rinomhota's injury has given Chelsea loanee Drinkwater the chance to stake his claim to be a regular starter at the Select Car Leasing Stadium.

This is an opportunity he has taken with both hands and he will be desperate to retain his place in the midfield in a bid to put himself in the shop window, with the 31-year-old unlikely to have a future with Thomas Tuchel's side on his return to Stamford Bridge.

Focusing more on the short term though, was he able to match his impressive recent performances against Fulham and Middlesbrough with another accomplished display at Pride Park last night?

We have taken a look at some of the latest reaction from Reading supporters on Twitter.