‘One of the hardest’: Reading boss explains key selection challenges amid Portsmouth loanee’s League One struggles
Josh Knight is yet to appear for Reading following his summer loan switch from Pompey.
Leam Richardson has confirmed Reading will travel to Wycombe Wanderers with a fully-fit squad after Josh Knight’s early-season fitness concerns.
And the head coach has explained the difficult selection challenges now facing him, with the Pompey loanee ready to be unleashed.
It’s been a frustrating start to life in League One for the 29-year-old, who has not been named in any of the Royals’ five matchday squads in any competition since his August 28 switch.
Richardson, who spent two years as Paul Cook’s assistant at Fratton Park between 2015 and 2017, explained Knight’s absence was due to the defender being a ‘little bit behind’ in his fitness.
The head coach’s comments were intriguing given the £1m signing featured five times for Pompey in pre-season and came off the bench in the Blues’ 3-1 success over Lincoln City last month.
The Fratton Park loanee was initially expected to return against Notts County last time out but was once again missing for the 2-0 win.
Reading boss gives squad clean bill of health ahead of Wycombe game as Pompey loanee waits
And ahead of this weekend’s trip to Wycombe, Richardson’s squad has been given a clean bill of health, hinting Knight could be available for the first time since his loan capture.
Speaking to BBC Radio Berkshire, he said: ‘There’s just Sean Patten obviously coming back from the foot injury. But like you said that’s one of the reasons why we wanted these games to go ahead because other than that we’ve got a fully fit squad.
‘Obviously, (we’ve lost some of) the lads on international break but we’re in a good place at the minute.
‘It’s one of the hardest, if not the hardest, thing in my role trying not to disappoint people for the weekend.
‘I think for any manager, any coach it’s the same thing, especially lads who you trust and who you work really well with and are likeable people because they deserve to be playing on a Saturday.
‘They understand their time will come but that’s what you need a squad for.
‘I’ve said many times that certain players will win you games, squads make that consistent and make you successful.
‘So you need a really good squad to make you successful.’
Why Pompey sanctioned Josh Knight’s exit
Knight arrived at Fratton Park in September 2025, penning a three-year deal following a £1m switch from Hannover 96.
Although Poole and Shaughnessy started the campaign as Mousinho’s main centre-back partnership, the 28-year-old was handed his bow later that month following Shaughnessy’s injury blow.
The Leicester City youth product went on to amass 14 appearances for the Blues before sustaining a back fracture in December 2025.
The setback sidelined Knight for the remainder of the season before he completed his return to action in pre-season.
But following the addition of Benjy Arthur on a season-long loan from Brentford during the summer, Pompey sanctioned the temporary departures of Knight and Hayden Matthews before the window’s closure, with the pair joining Reading and Bradford City respectively.
After the window’s climax, however, the Blues confirmed a significant injury blow to Arthur, with the 20-year-old facing at least three months out with a stress fracture in his back.
Meanwhile, uncertain remains over the severity of Shaughnessy’s injury setback after he was forced off against Blackburn Rovers last Saturday with a groin issue.
This leaves Madiodio Dia and Poole as Mousinho’s sole options at present.