Millwal v QPR team news with 1 doubt and 9 outs for Championship London derby
The Den plays host to the Championship London derby between Millwall and QPR this weekend.
QPR make the short trip across London in Championship action this weekend with Millwall the hosts to Marti Cifuentes' in-form side.
The R's did suffer defeat last time out, losing 2-0 to Sheffield Wednesday in what was only the side's second league defeat since the start of November. Meanwhile, the Lions picked up three points on the road in the rearranged trip to Portsmouth on Tuesday night, Mihailo Ivanovic the difference maker in a 1-0 victory.
Just one place and one point separate QPR in 13th and Millwall in 14th in the second tier ahead of the weekend. Here's your team news.
Millwall team news
The injury problems are adding up for Millwall and Alex Neil. Earlier this month it was confirmed that defensive pair Danny McNamara and Ryan Leonard would both face lengthy spells on the sidelines with significant injuries picked up in the 2-2 draw against Cardiff City.
McNamara will undergo surgery on a knee injury with no return date yet known. Meanwhile, Leonard has a calf injury, the severity of which is not yet known.
Calum Scanlon and Lukas Jensen then both limped off in the 1-0 win over Luton Town last weekend. The Liverpool loanee lasted just 17 minutes and is set to be out for 12 weeks with a serious hamstring injury.
Shot-stopper Jensen came off in the 93rd minute of that game but Neil hopes that his injury issue isn't too serious, despite missing out against Portsmouth. The Millwall boss outlined that it would be 'days rather than weeks'.
Aidomo Emakhu has a groin injury and isn't due back until March while Josh Coburn continues to recover from a broken metatarsal.
Speaking after the win over Luton Town, Neil said: “We’ve got pretty much four front players out. We’ve got two right-backs out. We’ve just lost another sort of left-back who’s now playing as a left winger for us and we’ve just lost our goalkeeper. So I don’t want to hear any team in this league complaining about injuries because if you come and look at ours, it’ll be as extensive as anybody.
“What I think it does do is speak volumes about the players in terms of how they went about the work because they didn’t let that distract them.
“They didn’t let the fact that we conceded in the 97th-minute equalizer [on Tuesday], they didn’t let the fact we missed a penalty. They didn’t let the fact that some of the players have to go off the pitch. They got on with the job. And that for me was excellent.”
Doubts - Lukas Jensen. Outs - Danny McNamara, Ryan Leonard, Calum Scanlon, Aidomo Emakhu, Josh Coburn.
QPR team news
QPR provided a lengthy update on the condition of injured players at the club last week with little likely to have changed ahead of the trip to Millwall. It was confirmed that centre-back Jake Clarke-Salter would have a 'period of time' on the treatment table following a hip injury picked up last week.
Speaking about Clarke-Salter, Cifuentes said: “I’m very sad for him. He’s a player and a guy that I really rate – from a professional and personal perspective. It’s a big setback. I’m very down because of the injury and very sad because it will be a long one.
“This season we had a lot of expectations about how much he could help us – last season and at the beginning of this season he showed how good a player he is.”
There was a defensive boost in the return of Steve Cook and Liam Morrison to the matchday squad against Sheffield Wednesday. Neither of those centre-backs picked up minutes in that match but could return to the pitch at The Den.
Lucas Andersen picked up an injury against Norwich City last month and is making 'good progress' but won't return to training until early February. Kader Dembele is a longer term absentee following knee surgery in November and has completed the first phase of his pitch rehabilitation. The winger is expected to be available for selection again in mid February.
Zan Celar has a hamstring injury, also picked up against Norwich City in December. He is into the second phase of his rehab process following surgery and isn't expected to be back on the training pitch until mid February.
Outs - Jake Clarke-Salter, Lucas Andersen, Kader Dembele, Zan Celar.
In other news, QPR are set to land a transfer blow to Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea with a rising midfield star sent to put pen to paper on a new deal at Loftus Road.