Portsmouth are looking to secure a win against Reading to move into the top half of the table and Harry Redknapp will hope his team can take advantage of the visitors’ patchy league form.
Kanu is doubtful for the home side with knee and thigh problems but Benjani and John Utaka are both expected to make at least the substitutes bench. Linvoy Primus is working his way back from a knee operation but is unlikely to feature much in the game.
Steve Coppell’s growing injury list will keep him sweating until the last minute in the build-up to the Royals’ trip south with winger Bobby Convey is out with a sore leg. He joins Glen Little (Achilles), John Oster (ankle) and defenders Ibrahima Sonko (knee) and Peter Mate (hamstring) on the sidelines.