Ex one-win QPR boss linked with huge job as Derby County suffer 'freak' injury ahead of Millwall

It's a weekend without Championship action as the international break continues, but that is welcome news to QPR and Millwall at the moment.

The R's are enduring a poor run of form and Marti Cifuentes is under pressure to find a solution at Loftus Road while Millwall inconsistency isn't helped by injury issues.

QPR and Millwall feature alongside Derby County in your Saturday Championship round-up.

Former QPR coach linked with Hearts job

Former QPR head coach Neil Critchley has emerged as a frontrunner to take on the vacant managerial role at Scottish giants Hearts as the Edinburgh club continue to search for a Steven Naismith replacement.

Not the Old Firm report that the 45-year-old is in contention for the role, alongside Norwegian boss Per-Mathias Hogmo. Critchley was in charge of the R's between December 2022 and February 2023 in a pretty dismal spell that saw the coach manage just one win.

He has since worked at Blackpool but was sacked at the end of August. Critchley is not the first ex QPR man to be linked with the role - Gareth Ainsworth was outspoken in his desires to manage Hearts recently.

Ex QPR defender extends Birmingham City stay

Ex QPR defender Ethan Laird has put pen to paper on a new contract with League One outfit Birmingham City as the Midlands club look to take League One by storm this season.

After relegation from the Championship last tern, the Blues invested heavily this summer with record outlays. That has proven worthwhile so far with Chris Davies' side flying high at the top of the table, despite defeat to Charlton Athletic last time out.

Laird, who made 32 Championship appearances for QPR during a 2022/23 loan spell, signed for Birmingham City from Manchester United in June 2023. That three-year contract has now been extended to 2028 with the player 'buzzing' about the renewal.

Derby County man has ‘freak’ injury

Derby County will be without Tawanda Chirewa once again when they face Millwall next weekend with Paul Warne confirming that the midfielder had suffered a 'freak' injury.

The 21-year-old didn't feature in the recent win over QPR because of a quad issue which is proving tricky for the club to treat. The player had started his first league game of the season against Sunderland at the start of October.

Chirewa joins Ben Osborn on the treatment table ahead of the trip to The Den and Warne said: "Ben Osborn slightly pulled his hamstring in the game against Sheffield United, but he will be fine after the international break. It's only a grade one. Tawanda has a freak injury in one leg between the quads. Even our physios say there is not much literature on it and it is a bit of a freak one. He's between four and eight weeks and that's sad."