Reading FC will have a bittersweet transfer feeling as February 3rd looms | OneFootball

The Royals may not have seen any key players depart, but their inability to strengthen is proving to be an issue for them.

Reading had another setback on Tuesday evening, suffering a late defeat against Burton Albion.

Goals from Rumarn Burrell and former Royal Jon Dadi Bodvarsson put the Brewers in the driving seat within half an hour at the Pirelli Stadium, but Michael Craig and Sam Smith's goals were able to level it up in the second half.

It was Burrell who had the final say though, with his stoppage-time goal allowing the hosts to win all three points.

There was a lot of anger towards Royals manager Noel Hunt after the full-time whistle - and some nervy days will follow - with plenty of offers potentially set to come in for players ahead of their clash on Saturday against Bolton Wanderers.

And so far, this window has turned out to be a fairly bittersweet one for the Berkshire side.

Reading FC have been able to retain their key players so far

Quite remarkably, no key players have left the Select Car Leasing Stadium yet, despite the fact the Royals are still facing cash flow issues, with a sale seemingly not on the horizon.

Joel Pereira is a vital figure for the Berkshire side, and it would be a considerable blow if he left the club. He has attracted Championship interest, but a move away doesn't seem to be close for 'El Gato'.

Tyler Bindon hasn't left the club yet either, and in the absence of Amadou Mbengue, the New Zealand international is an especially vital figure to have in central defence.

And in the absence of Ben Elliott, the likes of Lewis Wing, Harvey Knibbs and Charlie Savage should all be retained.

The fact all three remain at the SCL Stadium is a positive - with all three playing crucial roles this season.

Sam Smith is also a player who needs to be retained - because they don't have another striker who is anywhere near as effective as him - with Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan now playing on the wing.

Football League World understands Smith is currently attracting interest from Wrexham, with the Dragons pushing for a deal before the deadline on February 3rd.

But with the forward still having around 18 months left on his contract, it may take a big offer to lure him away from Berkshire, especially with a replacement unlikely to be recruited if he leaves.

They may not have been weakened during the transfer window via player sales, but injuries are continuing to be an issue, with Elliott, Mbengue and Jeriel Dorsett all out of action.

There are quite a few positions they need to strengthen, with their left-back department desperately needing an addition.

Dorsett is out for at least two months with a hamstring injury, but the Royals are unlikely to make any further signings with their financial situation in mind, so they look set to continue struggling in this area for some time.

Another centre-back would also be ideal in Mbengue's absence - and they could definitely benefit from having another winger and striker in their team who can make an impact off the bench.

Results have been poor in recent weeks, and it's fair to say that their inability to strengthen their squad has played a sizeable part in that.

Previously in the play-offs, they are now in mid-table. They may only be a fairly small number of points adrift of Leyton Orient at this stage, but things may get worse before they get better, considering their lack of squad depth.

Their lack of squad depth is killing them at this point, at a time when their league rivals are strengthening.