Pleased with the performances against Stevenage and Doncaster Rovers, Dougie Freedman is looking to get closer to his preferred starting XI as the Reds now meet Premier League opposition twice over the next seven days.
Opposite number Garry Monk, meanwhile, has an extra week to his side's big kick-off and match fitness is his main focus.
He told his club's official website: “I wanted really tough games and that’s what we have got. We’ve played Reading quite a few times in pre-season and they’ve always been good games while we’ve had some great battles with Forest over the years."