Can we beat Reading?

This is one of those games where the heart preys over your mind as we travel to the Madejski Stadium for the less than easy FA Cup Third Round match against Reading this Saturday.

Clarets have been on a bad run of form recently with only 6 points out of the 30 going spare in the last ten league matches. Contrast that with Reading in the Premiership who are holding their own pretty well in their first season up there, having thumped West Ham 6-0 in front of their home crowd in their last match and currently placed 9th in the Top Flight.

Duff will miss this match thanks to picking up his fith yellow card against Hull but we will be hoping to see our new signing Ade Akinbiyi feature in this match and everybody will be wishing the lad well in his return to the Club.

I dont know my mind tells me we will lose this match about 3-0 but my heart is hoping for at least a draw and a return match at the Turf. Who knows! This is the FA Cup and anything can happen. The motivational effect of having Ade back may work wonders for the team.

If Ade does start it will be interesting to see what formation we use and whether Gifton Noel-Williams will partner him up front in the absence of Andy Gray in 4:4:2 or whether we will revert to the more defensive 4:5:1 with Ade alone up front. Maybe I am completely wrong and Kyle Lafferty will feature in a striking role instead. There also seems to be some doubt about Jones with the manager suggesting he has been lacklustre recently and maybe not fully fit.

Former Clarets player Glen Little made nearly 300 appearances in eight years at Turf Moor and he is looking forward to facing his former employers.

He told the club's official website: 'I only know a couple of lads there, a new manager has come in since I left and they've brought in new faces.

'They've done well, it's been a decent season so far and obviously they've brought in Ade Akinbiyi.

'They've just fallen away from the play-offs but they've bolstered the squad and it will be tough'

Little will be a threat in this match and will be up for it against his former club.

We may also see a revitalised John Oster play against his former team too.

One person we will not have to worry about according to a local Berkshire website-ic Berkshire-is Sonko

Ibrahima Sonko has withdrawn from Reading's FA Cup third round tie against Burnley due to injury.

The central defender damaged his hip during against West Ham United on New Year's Day.

He explained to ic Berkshire: 'I think I stretched my hip. It's sore at the moment but we've got a couple of weeks before the next Premiership game which is good.

'I think I'll focus on that rather than try and rush myself back for Burnley'

Oh well lets just hope for the best and that little bit of underdog FA Cup luck and determination.

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