After missing out on a place in the Premier League by a single penalty kick in last season's play-off final it is somewhat surprising that Reading are currently fighting a fierce battle to ensure their Championship status for next season.

The Royals are just three points clear of the drop zone in the second tier with eight games left to play and the club took the decision this past week to sack manager Jaap Stam and replace him with Paul Clement.

It really is an alarming fall from grace for Clement to walk into at the Royals especially when you consider just how good the club were in the Championship last season and also when you take into account that this season's squad isn't much different from the one of 12 months ago.

With a nail-biting few weeks in store for supporters of the Royals, FLW writer Lee Clarke looks at two things that Clement must definitely address during the summer months...

At present the Royals have 12 players on the treatment table and that just seems bizarre considering how successful former boss Stam was last season in keeping his very best players on the pitch at key moments.

It might sound like a strange thing for a new manager to have to do but if I were Paul Clement, I would be overseeing a full review of training, sport science and fitness techniques ahead of next season in order to try and highlight any areas of improvement that could perhaps be made.

Reading quite simply haven't replaced the goals scored by Yann Kermorgant last season and they could pay the ultimate price for such a mistake.

A groin operation has pushed him closer to retirement and  part of Stam's dismissal is down to not signing a striker either at the start of the season or in the January transfer window.

Chris Martin did arrive from Derby but as with several other players just now, he has spent a large portion of his time at the club injured.

Reading fans, do you need a striker? Are the amount of injuries cause for concern? Let us know in the comments below!!!