Reading boss Ruben Selles reckons it is a “matter of time” before Wanderers find form again in League One.

The Whites have had a slow start, winning one of their opening five matches including three successive defeats.

“Bolton haven’t had the best start to the season,” Selles told the club site. “They have a powerful team and it is only a matter of time before they find their form.

“It is going to be a very difficult game, as it was last season, and we need to be fully prepared for a dynamic and dangerous team.

“It is interesting how sometimes teams that come so close to promotion, like Bolton last season, can experience a bit of a hangover.

“Football is cyclical. Right now, they are near the bottom but they have been riding a high over the last year.

“They almost made it to the Championship and when you get that close but don’t quite make it, setbacks can happen. But it is still early in the season, only five games in.

“I have no doubt that with the squad and manager they have, they will turn things around. Our job is to make sure that turnaround doesn’t start on Saturday."

Reading’s build-up to the fixture has been dominated by issues off the pitch. The Royals confirmed in a statement on Wednesday they had been “unable to find an agreement” with a potential buyer and will now “pursue alternative options”.

Selles admits the players and staff are being “pushed to the limit” but is determined to make sure it doesn’t affect Saturday’s performance.

"When I heard the deal wouldn’t be completed, I felt like it was another blow,” the Spaniard added.

“It reminded me of the points deduction and the time we almost lost the training ground. It’s the same feeling – that frustration of coming so close to change but then having it taken away.

“We are at a point now where the team and staff are being pushed to the limit. People expect us to keep coping with every challenge that comes our way, but there will be a moment when we can’t handle it anymore.

“I am not someone who quits but I do need to understand where the club is heading. I have a fantastic group of players and staff who keep fighting but it feels like we are stuck in a cycle, it is exhausting.

“But we won’t use this as an excuse for Saturday’s performance. We have dealt with these challenges before and we know how to keep our focus on the pitch.”