Jobi McAnuff: Former Reading midfielder says club need a 'miracle' to avoid relegation

Jobi McAnuff and former Reading chairman Sir John Madejski won promotion to the Premier League in 2012

Former Reading midfielder Jobi McAnuff says his old club need "a miracle" to avoid relegation to League One.

The Championship side are relying on Huddersfield, who are three points above the Royals, to lose Thursday's match against Sheffield United.

A loss would give Reading the chance to seal their own fate in their final game of the season against Huddersfield in a winner survives match on Monday.

"I'm gutted to see the position the club is in now," McAnuff said.

He added to BBC Radio Berkshire: "To say the season has been disappointing is a massive understatement.

"Barring a miracle relegation is looking very likely."

Reading have only won two league games in 2023 having been play-off contenders at the turn of the year.

The squad has been hampered by a pre-existing transfer embargo and injuries to key players like Sam Hutchinson, Junior Holiett and Liam Moore.

But the biggest blow came at the beginning of April when the EFL docked them six points for breaching the terms of a business plan to manage their spending.

Manager Paul Ince was sacked a couple of weeks later.

"It's just a sad reflection really of where the club is right now," McAnuff added.

"At the start of the season I thought it would be a real struggle with the transfer embargo hindering the quality of the signings and building of the squad.

"But after the start that the team had, I felt like the club was in a position to kick-on a little bit and get themselves out of trouble particularly knowing that in reality that six point deduction would come.

"Obviously results have been poor, performances have been poor, and it's like Reading have been sleep walking in to this situation and now it's too late."