After a second consecutive reserve game midweek, Steve says:
"I don't know whether Reading will be too soon; that is entirely up to the gaffer, but at the end of the day it would be nice to get in sooner rather than later.
"I am doing my utmost to try and get back and all I can do is show the manager that; if the lads are playing well it might be difficult but I can only do my best to show that I warrant a place - and we will take it from there.
"Whenever the gaffer sees fit that is obviously up to him; I can only get to a certain level in reserve games and training so we will have to wait and see."
Talking of his fitness, he adds:
"I feel all right after some little niggles and a bit of sickness - much better after Wednesday night, and it is just a case of getting some games in.
"The hamstring was a little bit tight but you get these sort of things when you have had a long term injury and you are getting back into it.
"I had a groin injury and a calf problem; these are things you wouldn't be picking up if you had a preseason.
"In the time you are out your body relaxes; it is such a strain on your body coming back and it is a gradual process.
"Having had the two operations doesn't help - it is hard enough coming back from one but when you have two in four months, even though it wasn't major surgery, it is still someone going into a major joint, delving around in there, and stirring things up.
"That is something I have had to accept."
Steve knows that the focus of attention is on Alan Pardew's return to Reading and adds:
"I think he is in for a bit of stick but the most important thing is the result and nothing else matters.
"It is obviously nice to play well - and we will have to play well to a certain degree to get a result up there.
"They are three points behind and will see it as a chance to put the pressure on us and move above us.
"But if we can win we can get a gap from them and knock the wind out of their sails.
"It is a pretty big game overall; they are going to have a bumper crowd and be up for it with Alan coming back.
"They feel aggrieved at the situation, and in some ways you can sort of feel for them, but that seems to be football.
"Clubs freely talk about loyalty one minute but on the other hand it seems to be double standards.
"Nothing surprises me in football and from the manager's point of view he felt it was a step up - hopefully the lads can prove that on Saturday.
"It is going to be hostile and frantic and the crowd is going to stir the team up - but maybe it will detract from supporting their team by giving Alan some stick.
"Hopefully we can get a couple of goals to quieten them down and take the sting out of their tail."
Steve wants the side to get back to winning ways away after two consecutive defeats on the road and adds:
"If it wasn't for our away form we would be nowhere near, and it was the same last season when our away form was pretty good and our home form was poor up until the end of the season.
"Hopefully we can go on the run we did last season at home to push us on into the play-offs and take us through them."