Separated by four points at the top end of the League One table, Huddersfield Town and Reading will do battle in an important contest at the John Smith's Stadium on Saturday.
The hosts have dropped out of the automatic promotion picture and down to fifth spot owing to three straight defeats, while their visitors are within touching distance of the playoffs thanks to a return to winning ways last time out.
Match preview
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Huddersfield Town head into the weekend aiming to end their rut in League One and move back into the top four, having seen an eye-catching unbeaten run come to a halt in recent weeks.
Following a difficult start to their promotion bid, the Terriers moved into the fight for top-two spots by going 16 league games without a defeat between early October and mid-January, picking up 10 wins and six draws along the way to sit fourth on 48 points from 25 outings.
Michael Duff's side have since failed to add to that tally in three further attempts, though, firstly seeing the run ended in a 1-0 home defeat to Bolton Wanderers before league leaders Birmingham City visited the John Smith's Stadium and also picked up a one-goal victory.
A trip to Northampton Town then followed on Saturday, and after falling 3-0 down to goals from Sam Hoskins, Tom Eaves and Liam Shaw, the Terriers were able to reduce the deficit to one through Herbie Kane and Jonathan Hogg, only to fail to find a leveller in the final 10 minutes.
Now sitting fifth in England's third tier as a result, seven points behind the top three and just four above seventh and eighth spots, Huddersfield Town will be desperate to stop the rot on Saturday and rebuild a winning run heading into the final months of the season.
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Their visitors, meanwhile, head to Yorkshire aiming to reduce their gap to the hosts to a single point, having strengthened their playoff hopes with a victory at the weekend.
Following a strong first half to the campaign under the management of Ruben Selles and later Noel Hunt, Reading moved onto 41 points from 24 League One outings thanks to a hot streak after Christmas, as a draw away at fellow playoff-chasers Charlton Athletic followed three straight victories.
The Royals would hit a slump of their own, though, dropping out of the top six following three consecutive losses at the hands of Stockport County, Leyton Orient and strugglers Burton Albion, conceding eight goals along the way.
Aiming to end that rut and move back towards the top six, Hunt's men hosted Bolton Wanderers on Saturday and leapfrogged the Trotters with a 1-0 victory, as Harvey Knibbs broke the deadlock and snatched all three points with an 89th-minute penalty.
That result saw Reading move back up to eighth spot in League One, and now only trailing Charlton and Leyton Orient on goal difference and Saturday's hosts by four points, they have the chance to return to the playoff places and strengthen their promotion claim at the weekend.
Team News
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Huddersfield Town head into the weekend without attackers Danny Ward and Joe Taylor due to injury issues, while David Kasumu, Mickel Miller, Josh Koroma, Tom Lees and Nigel Lonwijk could also remain sidelined.
In the absence of Lees and Lonwijk, Radinio Balker could again join Matty Pearson and Brodie Spencer in a back three after his own long injury layoff, while Herbie Kane and Antony Evans will compete for starting spots in midfield after Joe Hodge, Jonathan Hogg and Ben Wiles were preferred last time out.
Despite the losses of Ward, Taylor and Koroma, there is still competition in attack, with Callum Marshall and Rhys Healey hoping to displace Bojan Radulovic and Dion Charles, who will search for a first Terriers goal following his January switch from Bolton Wanderers.
Reading could be unchanged from Saturday's 1-0 victory over Bolton Wanderers, with defenders Jeriel Dorsett and Andy Yiadom remaining sidelined by injuries.
Experienced Harlee Dean will continue at the heart of the back four alongside 20-year-old Tyler Bindon, who completed a move to Nottingham Forest in January but will spend the remainder of the season on loan with the Royals.
Following the departure of then-top scorer Sam Smith to Wrexham, Harvey Knibbs will take on plenty of attacking responsibility, having moved level with Smith on 11 goals for the season last time out, while Jayden Wareham and Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan will compete to lead the line.
Huddersfield Town possible starting lineup:
Chapman; Pearson, Balker, Spencer; Sorensen, Hogg, Kane, Wiles, Roosken; Marshall, Charles
Reading possible starting lineup:
Pereira; Craig, Bindon, Dean, Garcia; Wing, Savage; Campbell, Knibbs, Camara; Wareham
We say: Huddersfield Town 2-1 Reading
In what promises to be a tight game at the John Smith's Stadium, we back Huddersfield Town to make their quality count on home turf and arrest their tough run of form with a victory at the weekend.
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Sam Varley
