QPR handed Watford blow but big Coventry City boost in significant injury update

QPR will be without captain Jimmy Dunne once again this weekend for the trip to Watford but an update on the defender’s injury comes as a boost for the west London outfit.

The 27-year-old, who signed a new deal at Loftus Road this summer and was named as skipper, missed the Championship opener against Preston North End last weekend with a hip injury. The R’s drew that match 1-1 with Paul Heckingbottom’s side. Dunne was also absent in the 3-2 Carabao Cup defeat to Plymouth Argyle in midweek.

It had been feared that the hip injury could rule Dunne out for a significant period of time, just as it had been confirmed that fellow full-back Ziyad Larkeche had picked up an ACL problem which will see him miss months of action as he recovers.

QPR handed injury boost

However, West London Sport report that Dunne has been given the green light to return to full training, in a big boost for QPR. The player isn’t set to feature against Watford this weekend but should be back in action to take on Frank Lampard’s Coventry City in the Midlands on Saturday, August 23.

QPR continue to be without striker Michael Frey and defender Jake Clarke-Salter with summer signing Kwame Poku also set to be absent at Vicarage Road. He picked up a knock in the second half against Preston North End but Julien Stephan does not believe that to be a long term problem.

Dunne’s upcoming return is a big boost to the new QPR head coach. The defender had been hotly tipped to make a move to Sheffield United in January and, following their play-off final defeat, the Blades had been tipped to make another move this summer.

Jimmy Dunne on new R’s contract

Dunne would have been available as a free agent but instead committed his future to QPR. When signing that deal in June, Dunne said: “I'm delighted. This feels like home. It's my club, so I'm really happy to still be here.

“I’ve got an emotional attachment to this club, which is obviously super rare in football these days. My butcher's a QPR fan, my postman's a QPR fan. I see them all the time, so I feel the emotion of the people when I'm around Chiswick or wherever I see them.

“I think that's another reason why I've grown so attached and I think I really care. So much has changed since I've been here. So many managers, so many players, but I've seen how much the fans have cared about us at our lowest points.”

In other news, QPR 'still working on' attacker deal as manager makes Charlton 'target' available for transfer.