Opposition Lowdown: Michael Duff's Huddersfield Town

Today at 03:40 AM

Reading return to Berkshire this weekend for a lunchtime kickoff against recently relegated Huddersfield Town. Join us as we take a closer look at the opposition.

Form

Huddersfield Town were relegated from the Championship last season, finishing 23rd in the league, six points from safety. Relegation ended their five-year stay in the second tier, where they had sat since their relegation from the Premier League in 2019.

They have had a relatively strong start to the season and currently sit in fifth place in the league, winning four and losing three of their seven games so far. Their wins have come against Peterborough United, Stevenage, Shrewsbury Town and Bolton Wanderers.

They come into this weekend's game off the back of a 0-2 home defeat to Steve Bruce's Blackpool.

The two sides last faced each other in Reading's last season in the Championship in the 2022/23 season, where Reading claimed a 3-1 win at the Select Car Leasing Stadium after goals from Tom McIntyre, Yakou Meite and an own goal, before Huddersfield claimed a 2-0 victory over the Royals on the final day of the season.

The boss

Michael Duff: Duff was appointed Huddersfield manager in May this year, taking over from Andre Breitenreiter, who left following their relegation from the Championship. The former centre-back had a 20-year career as a player but only represented two clubs: Cheltenham Town and Burnley, making over 300 appearances for each club.

Following his retirement in 2016, Duff worked with Burnley's youth teams before securing his first managerial job with Cheltenham Town in 2018. He spent almost four years at The Robins, where he won the League Two title in 2021, before guiding the club to their highest-ever league position (15th in League One) the following season.

Duff went on to join Barnsley in 2022, where he guided the Tykes to the League One playoff final, which they lost to Sheffield Wednesday. He joined Championship Swansea City that summer, but he was sacked by the Swans less than six months later, due to poor form.

The 46-year-old has had a strong start to his Huddersfield career so far, with the side sitting in fifth place in the league after seven games. Duff likes his sides to play a high press, while also playing out from the back.

Squad

Eight players signed for Huddersfield over the summer, with five joining on permanent deals and three arriving on loan.

The Terriers paid transfer fees for Bristol Rovers midfielder Anthony Evans and Lincoln winger Lasse Sorensen. They also signed midfielder Herbie Kane, winger Mickel Miller and striker Freddie Ladapo on free transfers.

Those signing on loan included Wolverhampton Wanderers defender Nigel Lonwijk and midfielder Joe Hodge, while forward Callum Marshall joined from West Ham United.

Midfielder Jack Rudoni left Huddersfield to join Championship Coventry City for a six-figure fee. Defender Yuta Nakayama, winger Connor Mahoney and veteran striker Jordan Rhodes were among a number of players to leave the club upon the expiry of their contracts.

Defender Michael Helik and forward Rhys Healey will both miss this weekend's game with hamstring injuries. Striker Danny Ward will be available again following the end of a three-match ban.

Predicted lineup

Nicholls, Lonwijk, Lees, Headley, Sorensen, Hogg, Evans, Wiles, Ward, Ladapo, Koroma

Key player

Josh Koroma: Forward Koroma joined Huddersfield in 2019, signing from Leyton Orient, where he had developed in their youth system. He made his Orient debut in 2016 and went on to make 97 appearances for the club, scoring 18 goals.

First-team appearances were hard to come by in Koroma's first season with The Terriers, so he joined Rotherham United on loan in a search for first-team football. He became more of a first-team regular upon his return to Town and scored 12 Championship goals in the following two seasons.

He joined Portsmouth on a season long loan deal during the 2022/23 season but returned to Huddersfield halfway through the season and rejoined the first-team squad. The 25-year-old has gone on to make 137 appearances for Huddersfield, scoring 28 goals, five of which have come this season.

Koroma can play as a centre-forward or winger and likes to take on defenders, regularly pulling out wide to cut back inside.

One to watch

Nigel Lonwijk: Defender Lonwijk joined Huddersfield on a season-long loan from Premier League Wolverhampton Wanderers this summer. He started his career in the youth system at PSV Eindhoven before joining the youth setup at Wolves in 2020.

He has played for the Wolves under-18 and under-21 sides but is yet to make a first-team appearance for the club. Lonwijk has had a number of loan spells to gain first-team experience, representing the likes of Fortuna Sittard, Plymouth Argyle and Wycombe Wanderers, where he spent the back end of last season.

The 21-year-old has made five appearances for Town so far this season and will be hoping to get a full season of first-team football under his belt. Lonwijk is a centre-back who, standing at 6 foot 5, is a physical presence, yet he is also comfortable on the ball.