EFL Cup Key Battles: Reading FC v MK Dons

Liam Moore vs Kabongo Tshimanga

The 18-year-old Englishman made his debut for the Dons in the last round of the EFL Cup against League 2 side Newport. In that game Tshimanga got 80 minutes, and he'll be hoping to continue his development in Berkshire this midweek.

Looking to stop him will likely be Liam Moore, the former Leicester City defender who finally completed his transfer on Saturday after a much drawn out saga. Moore will be looking to knuckle down straight away and impress manager Jaap Stam and the Reading fans.

This will be the perfect game for the centre-back to settle into the Royals team, with not too much pressure to perform to 100% in this competition. MK Dons manager Karl Robinson has said that he will play his youngsters tomorrow night, so it will be interesting as to how the Reading players cope with the no-fear factor that Robinson would have drilled into his players.

Tennai Watson vs Giorgio Rasulo

Rasulo can play either on the left side or right side of midfield and will be looking cause problems for the Reading defence, and looking at keeping him quiet will be Tennai Watson. The 19-year-old has looked very impressive since breaking into the first team squad this season and the most notable showing came against Plymouth in the last round of the EFL cup, where he put in a very eye-catching display.

Playing the full 90 minutes, as MK Dons beat Newport 3-2 in the last round, Rasuolo only made his debut on the opening day of the season, so this will be fascinating battle, with two raw, talented, and young English players squaring off against each other.

Whoever wins this battle will go a long way into which side progresses into round three of the EFL cup.

Joseph Mendes vs Scott Wootton

Joseph Mendes will finally be looking to make his first start for the Royals on Tuesday night, following two successive substitute appearances, keen to to make an impact in this game and give Jaap Stam something to think about. With his height and strength, the Frenchman could be deployed as the lone front-man that Reading will look for in order to win headers and hold the ball up, allowing his teammates to join the attack.

Looking to stop him will be centre-back Scott Wootton, the ex-Manchester United youngster who was signed on a free transfer from Leeds in the summer.

This will be a fascinating battle, mainly due to their height and presence on the field. Mendes is 6ft 1in tall, while Wotton is 6ft 2. Therefore, it will be interesting to see who wins the headers from long balls and crosses.