Reading FC: Ruben Selles, Cheltenham Town call could solve Lewis Wing issue | OneFootball

Lewis Wing should be omitted from the starting lineup against Cheltenham Town, with the midfielder earning a deserved rest at the weekend.

Reading have benefitted hugely from Lewis Wing since he arrived at the Select Car Leasing Stadium last year.

On paper, he looked to be a very shrewd addition, having kickstarted his career at Wycombe Wanderers.

He spent a chunk of the early stages of his time in Berkshire out injured, but has remained available for much of his time at the club thus far, and this has been a major boost for the Royals.

Last season, plenty of his contributions helped Ruben Selles' side to win much-needed points at crucial times.

His goal away at Wycombe helped the Royals to record their first away league win in a very long time in November last year - and his assist against Oxford United during the following month allowed his team to secure a point against a local rival.

He was just as important during the second half of the campaign, earning the club a point at Fleetwood Town with his goal, scoring against fellow relegation candidates Port Vale to boost the Royals' own survival hopes and getting himself on the scoresheet in a comprehensive 4-0 victory against Cambridge United.

And his excellent free-kick away at Bristol Rovers on the stroke of half-time all but sealed survival for the Berkshire outfit back in April.

Earning a deserved rest in the summer, he is now back in action for the Royals and has started regularly again.

Lewis Wing's mixed performances and underwhelming Stockport County display

Wing has done well at times again this season, scoring an excellent free-kick away at Rotherham United, though that didn't help the Royals to win a point or three in the end.

His rocket against Crawley Town, however, was a key moment in the game, because the Berkshire side's opponents had equalised and were on top at that point.

Also showing some other good touches against Crawley, he could be pleased with aspects of his performance that day.

In saying that, the visitors were able to get through the Royals' midfield far too easily at the SCL Stadium and that was a major concern on the day.

That wasn't all Wing's fault and it could be argued that the makeup of the Berkshire side's midfield contributed to that, with Charlie Savage and Ben Elliott better offensively than they are in the defensive third.

It was still a cause for concern though - and it's fair to say that he didn't perform very well against Stockport County last week.

Not only was he not strong enough for the first goal and not alert enough for the fourth, but he also earned an unnecessary booking.

Clearly, it wasn't his night at Edgeley Park and that performance suggested that he was jaded, which was no surprise considering the Royals' busy schedule recently.

Thankfully, he was able to secure a rest in the FA Cup first round fixture against Fleetwood Town on Saturday.

After his rest on Saturday, Selles could easily call Wing back into the first XI for Tuesday night's game against Cheltenham Town.

There are likely to be plenty of youngsters on the pitch against the Robins, so having a leader like Wing on the pitch may not be the worst idea.

However, he's such a crucial player and should also be rested for this game, before being brought back in for an important league game at Stevenage on Saturday.

There's likely to be an international break for the Berkshire outfit after this, but the game at the Lamex Stadium should be prioritised.

In terms of who could play in his defensive midfield role tonight, Shay Spencer is the obvious choice, having impressed in that role before.

Michael Craig is another potential option, but he's a crucial first-teamer player like Wing and should be rested against Cheltenham.

Jay Senga is another youthful option in the middle of the park, but it remains to be seen whether Selles will take a chance on him.

Tivonge Rushesha should start in a more advanced position or at full-back if required, so he can't be a viable option in this area. If a prediction had to be made, Spencer is probably the man who will play in that role - and he will be hoping to impress again if he gets another chance.