I see Stoke City and Cardiff City as death knoll for Cifuentes at QPR after 'precocious talent' ruled out until February


QPR confirmed on Wednesday evening that forward Kader Dembele is facing a lengthy period on the sidelines due to a knee injury that has kept the summer signing out of the last four Championship matches. It's a huge blow for the struggling London outfit, and one that Marti Cifuentes is right to be very fearful of.
It's been a dire start to the campaign for QPR after supporters had been led to believe that the Cifuentes era could lead to more than another relegation dogfight. Yet, after 15 outings, the R's sit bottom of the table with just one win and a meagre 10 points.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdThings need to change and they need to change fast for Cifuentes. The Catalan coach may have signed a new long-term contract at the end of the September, which has helped shelter him from talk of sacking that may have been more intense otherwise - however, the 42-year-old's position simply won't be tenable for much longer without achieving that elusive second league win.
Next up for QPR is the visit of Stoke City this weekend. The outfit will then travel to Cardiff City and Watford before the end of November and the start of a hectic December. Cifuentes must pick up points, but that already difficult mission won't be helped by the absence of Dembele.
It's hard to pick any positives from the season so far but the arrival of the tricky winger is certainly one of those. While the likes of Nicolas Masden, Zan Celar and Hevertton Santos all yet to look convincing following their summer transfers, Dembele is one who hit the ground running.


The former Celtic youngster picked up three assists in his opening five Championship outings, taking no time to adjust to the division. QPR were unbeaten in those matches, winning two, as Cifuentes hailed the player's impact as 'excellent'.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdAs a result, the former Blackpool man's loan was made permanent by the club at the end of September. Speaking at the time, QPR CEO Christian Nourry said: “Kaddy is a precocious talent who has the potential to excite our fans every week.
“He is a young player and, at 21, has a number of areas of his game which he can improve, notably in his out-of-possession work - but it is clear for all to see that he has a special level of technique to make the difference at Championship level. Everyone at the club is committed to supporting him develop into the best player that he can be.”
Kader Dembele ruled out until February
A first goal for the club came shortly afterwards in the defeat to Portsmouth but the player has now missed the last four league outings and will be absent for the whole of the festive period and into the New Year. A club update confirmed: "Kader Dembele, however, faces a period of time on the sidelines following knee surgery. Subject to a successful rehabilitation, the club is hopeful he will be in a position to return to the pitch in February 2025."
Elaborating, Director of Performance Ben Williams added: “There is no doubt this is a challenging period. This season, very unusually, 70% of our time-loss injuries have been due to non-preventable impact and contact injuries.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad"The performance team we have built continue to work incredibly hard at our elite training ground to provide the best player availability possible. As previously reported elsewhere, due to a change in my personal circumstances, I am continuing my role with the club on a more remote basis but remain committed in helping deliver long-term success for QPR.”
Cifuentes' QPR side has shown moments of defensive stability at times this season and have indeed managed two clean sheets in their last four - impressively, against promotion-chasing Burnley and Sunderland. It's up top where the side are lacking impetus, their 12 goals a league low.
It now looks foolish for the club to have allowed both Lyndon Dykes and Sinclair Armstrong to leave during the summer window. Recruiting Celar from Switzerland was always a risk and it's one that hasn't paid off.
Ilias Chair injury adds to QPR woes
Even if Cifuentes has cracked the whip over the international break, it appears unlikely that a free-flowing QPR are going to emerge against Stoke City. The side needs a moment of inspiration to spark those creative juices into life and the one player who has looked capable of doing that so far this season is Dembele.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdEven if the winger has looked a little short physically with the Championship demands, his pace and willingness to run directly at defence has reaped rewards. No QPR player has created more than his 20 chances this season.
Losing that influence for months was always going to be a blow, but it's worsened for Cifuentes with the influential Ilias Chair also out until December with a knee injury picked up against Middlesbrough. The Morrocan is the only QPR player with a greater xA per 90 than Dembele this season, with 0.28 vs 0.21 since his return from a pre-season back injury.
Chair's return isn't far away but the prospect of three fixtures in close succession with a desperate need for a win without even creative force is a nightmare for Cifuentes.
Comment Guidelines
National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.