GARATH McCleary believes back-to-back road trips in the next week give Reading FC a perfect opportunity to improve their away form.

Promotion-chasing Royals have picked up eight Championship victories on their travels this season but have also lost seven times and drawn twice.

In stark comparison, Jaap Stam's men have conceded 32 goals in 17 away fixtures compared to just 14 in 19 home games at Madejski Stadium.

And McCleary feels the time has come to start collecting more wins on the road ahead of their clash at Preston this Saturday (3pm ko) and at play-off rivals Sheffield Wednesday a week this Friday.

“It would be good to take points from Preston this weekend and keep the position that we’ve got in the league,” admitted McCleary, with Reading fifth in the table and with a seven-point lead over Fulham in seventh.

“It’s up to us to go away to Preston and change our away fortunes, there is no better place to start that than at Deepdale.”

Reading will travel to the north west full of confidence having held leaders Newcastle United to a 0-0 home draw on Tuesday just a few days after a 2-1 victory over Wolves at Madejski Stadium.

Reading Chronicle:

Garath McCleary hit the crossbar with this shot in the dying seconds of Tuesday's 0-0 draw with Newcastle.

But Stam's men are unlikely to have it all their own way against a Preston side who have shown a vast improvement since Reading beat them 1-0 at home on the opening day of the season thanks to John Swift's winning goal.

Simon Grayson's Lilywhites sit ninth in the table and 11 points behind the Royals after a run of only two defeats in their last 10 outings.

They have also become a force to be reckoned with at Deepdale where they haven't lost since Boxing Day.

Jamaica international McCleary added: “Preston are in and amongst it in terms of results.

“We’ve got a lot of games after that against teams that are in and around us in the table. It would be very good for us to take points from them.

“After the Preston and Sheffield Wednesday games there is the international break, and especially for those of us not going on duty it will be a good opportunity to have a bit of down time.

“It is important that we make the most of that rest because, after that, the games will come thick and fast.”

Meanwhile, Deniss Rakels is pushing for a first-team recall after recovering from a broken ankle and could be included in the squad this Saturday.

However, Liam Moore limped out of Tuesday night's draw with Newcastle with a hamstring problem and joins Tiago Ilori, Callum Harriott and Stephen Quinn on the sidelines.

Liam Kelly is also a doubt after he too suffered hamstring problems against the Magpies and was substituted at half time.

Joey van den Berg, voted man-of-the-match in the stalemate against the Magpies, will have to watch his step at Deepdale as one more booking will earn the Dutchman a two-match suspension.

The cut-off date for picking up 10 yellow cards is this Sunday.