Update emerges on Reading FC summer signing’s availability for Cardiff City and Stevenage fixtures | OneFootball

Reading midfielder Mamadou Loum won’t be available for this weekend’s tie against Cardiff City as he waits for his working visa, as per an update from journalist Andy Preston.

The Royals already have several players unavailable, with Sam Hutchinson, Femi Azeez and Lucas Joao remaining out of action for Saturday’s game at the Select Car Leasing Stadium and one or two more unnamed players set to miss out as well according to manager Paul Ince.

On top of this, Naby Sarr’s transfer is still yet to be approved by the EFL and with this, he’s unlikely to be available as an alternative centre-back option.

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1. Who did Reading sign Mamadou Loum from this summer?

Benfica Porto Sporting Lisbon Braga

It’s currently unclear whether Chelsea man Omari Hutchinson will be signed up in time for the Royals’ upcoming tie, with a deal believed to be close but yet to be announced as the second-tier outfit face going into this tie with few options to choose from.

One man that is already in the door is Loum, whose season-long loan move from Porto was announced last week, but a visa is yet to materialise and this looks set to be costly for the Senegal international in his quest to be available for the weekend, though he could potentially be involved in the Berkshire outfit’s Carabao Cup tie against Stevenage next week.

Jeff Hendrick and Tyrese Fornah could potentially start in the middle of the park once more, though it’s currently unclear whether one or both are the injured players Ince was talking about in his press conference today.

The Verdict:

This is a blow for Ince because he needs all the options he can get at this stage with other players out, though the former England international will just be grateful that he does have a couple of options at his disposal.

They are starting to look thin in several areas with these injury problems though and this is why the delays surrounding Sarr and Loum are particularly frustrating, because both their centre-back and central midfield departments would benefit from an extra option.

Loum may be an unknown player in the UK – but he certainly has the CV to do well at the Select Car Leasing Stadium and the fact that he’s already confirmed as a signing will put many peoples’ minds at rest.

It’s a different story with Sarr though – because he hasn’t been confirmed yet and there are fears he will move on elsewhere if this deal continues to be delayed.

The former Huddersfield Town man is someone the Berkshire side desperately need to provide some solidity at the back and based on his displays last season, he’s certainly someone that could be a game-changer.