CAPTAIN Paul Smith returns to boost Gillingham tonight at Reading, but hopes that Barry Ashby would be fit enough to join him are fast fading.

Player-manager Andy Hessenthaler believed the pair would be available after injury last week as the club look to rejuvenate their play-off campaign with a first win in three games at the Madejski Stadium.

Smith, who missed his first match for two and a half years at Leeds last Tuesday, trained on Saturday and reported no reaction to the knee injury that kept him out.

However, fears are growing that Ashby's foot injury could be worse than was first thought. He has already undergone a scan, x-ray and bone scan as the likelihood increases that he has broken the foot rather than sustained severe bruising.

With Mark Saunders already out of contention with hamstring trouble, Hessenthaler might gamble on Paul Shaw tonight. He is prepared to have an injection after tweaking a cartilage at Preston a week ago and could make a surprise return.

Jason Brown continues in goal after illness threatened his withdrawal at the weekend. With second choice Vince Bartram recovering from a severe attack of chicken pox, Hessenthaler had considered a making a loan signing.

Reading, who have strong play-off ambitions and are sixth in the table, bolstered their squad at the weekend with the loan signing of Manchester United wonder kid Luke Chadwick who goes straight into tonight's squad.