Pavel Pogrebnyak will be involved for Reading's FA Cup semi final

Pavel Pogrebnyak will be involved for Reading's
FA Cup semi-final after overcoming a calf
complaint.
On-loan duo Nathan Ake and Kwesi Appiah are
unavailable as they are cup-tied but fellow
loanees Nathaniel Chalobah and Jamie Mackie
can play.
Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere could make his
first appearance after recovering from an ankle
problem.
However, Mikel Arteta and Alex Oxlade-
Chamberlain are still not fit. Wojciech Szczesny
will start in goal.
France defender Mathieu Debuchy may also be
included in the squad again, having been out
since January after needing shoulder surgery.
There have been 24 goals in the last three
meetings between Arsenal and Reading, which
bodes well for the neutral as the Berkshire club
taste their first FA Cup semi-final since 1927.
You'd need to be very old and have a very good
memory to recall that one (a 3-0 defeat to Cardiff
at Molineux).
Arsenal only need short memories for something
of a cautionary tale. Twelve months ago they
were eight minutes away from being beaten by
another Championship club, Wigan, at this stage.
In the end Arsenal squeaked through on penalties
to what was a record-equalling 18th FA Cup final.
There are big differences though - 12 months ago,
rather than being on an eight-game winning
streak, Arsenal had gone four games without a
win - one of which had been a 6-0 defeat by
Chelsea. Against Wigan, rather than having Olivier
Giroud and Alexis Sanchez threatening their
opponent's goal it was Lukas Podolski and Yaya
Sanogo.
Reading haven't had an easy route to Wembley;
they may not have faced Premier League
opposition but they've been drawn away in every
round and got the better of both Derby and
Cardiff. They are all but safe in the
Championship but haven't won a game since the
quarter-final replay victory over Bradford City a
month ago.
In the pugnacious Pavel Pogrebnyak and
rumbustious Jamie Mackie they have strikers
who are a handful on most days. Jordan Obita
and Michael Hector are excellent defensive
prospects, Nathaniel Chalobah - on loan from
Chelsea - is a real presence in midfield and
Garath McCleary and former Arsenal trainee Hal
Robson-Kanu offer a threat from wide areas.
Arsenal will not take them lightly, but Reading
boss Steve Clarke is probably correct when he
says that his side will need to play "the perfect
game" to win.