Reading's Fae is out with malaria

Fae has struggled for a first-team place at Reading this season (Getty)

Reading hope Ivory Coast international midfielder Emerse Fae will be available soon after he contracted malaria while on Africa Cup of Nations duty.

The 24-year-old had blood tests on Sunday after falling ill ahead of Saturday's match at Middlesbrough and flying back down south.

Physio Jon Fearn told the club website: "It lay dormant for a couple of weeks before coming out at the weekend.

"He is recovering well at home and shouldn't be out for too long."

Tottenham Hotspur's Ivory Coast midfielder Didier Zokora also contracted malaria in 2006 while former Newcastle United and Portsmouth player Lomana Lualua, now with Olympiakos, has also had the disease after travelling to Africa.