Royals boss Jaap Stam has made three changes to the side that started against Bolton in midweek.
Jón Daði Böðvarsson leads the line as Chris Martin misses out through illness, while Leandro Bacuna is back in the starting eleven as Dave Edwards drops to the bench.
17-year-old Tom Holmes starts as a substitute this afternoon as Tiago Ilori is reinstated into the back line, while Anssi Jaakkola retains his place between the posts.
Young forward Danny Loader is named in the squad for a league fixture for only the second time in his career, but Van den Berg misses out through injury.
In all, the squad includes four Academy graduates - Liam Kelly starting, with Sam Smith joining Holmes and Loader on the bench.
Reading: Jaakkola, Gunter (c), Moore, Ilori, Bacuna, Evans, Clement, Kelly, Aluko, Barrow, Böðvarsson.
Subs: Mannone, Blackett, Holmes, Edwards, Swift, Loader, Smith.
Leeds United: Peacock-Farrell, Pennington, Jansson, Berardi (c), De Bock, Forshaw, O'Kane, Hernandez, Saiz, Alioski, Ekuban.
Subs: Wiedwald, Anita, Lasogga, Dallas, Phillips, Vieira, Pearce.
