QPR vs Stoke City team news with 6 doubts and 5 out as R's handed significant defensive boost

The hunt for a second league win of the season continues for QPR this weekend as Stoke City make the trip to Loftus Road to take on Marti Cifuentes' struggling side.

The R's last won a Championship at the end of August, beating Luton Town 2-1 at Kenilworth Road thanks to goals from Nicolas Masden and Michael Frey.

QPR have since plummeted to the bottom of the second tier with Cifuentes needing to turn form around as pressure grows on the head coach. Here's your team news ahead of QPR vs Stoke City this weekend.

QPR team news

QPR head coach Marti Cifuentes admitted that the international break would give the club chance to work on healing their walking wounded with an ever-growing list of injury concerns.

Speaking after defeat to Leeds United, the Catalan said: “I have not been saying much about it in the last weeks but now we have the international break, the main priority for us is to recover players. It is very difficult, especially when they are such important players. Is it an excuse? Not at all. We need to do better and compete better.”

The influential Ilias Chair missed out against Leeds United having picked up an injury against Middlesbrough. The winger was said to be in 'a lot of pain' and is confirmed to be absent this weekend. His return is pencilled in for the first half of December.

Striker Michael Frey has a knee injury that has kept him out of action since mid-October and he isn’t due back until December. Meanwhile pacey winger Kader Dembele has undergone knee surgery and will be sidelined until February 2025.

Midfielder Jack Colback underwent knee surgery earlier this season and had been touted to return in November, so is another Cifuentes may hope to have available again. Full-backs Kenneth Paal and Harrison Ashby have both returned from their problems in a significant boost for the R’s.

Jake Clarke-Salter continues to be a big miss with a calf niggle that has seen him in and out of the side this season. He is another expected to return in the first half of December.

Doubts - Jack Colback. Out - Michael Frey, Ilias Chair, Kader Dembele, Jake Clarke-Salter.

Stoke City team news

Stoke City have been sent an injury boost by sporting chief Jon Walters this week with the former midfielder teasing potential returns for several first team stars after the international break.

He told Stoke-on-Trent Live: “Enda (Stevens) and Ash (Ashley Phillips) are just little niggly things and nothing to be too concerned about.

“Ben Pearson will be longer than the others, Lynden (Gooch) is looking really good and will hopefully be joining in sooner than the others. Bosun (Lawal) is out running and doing really well. He’s desperate to play and it’s been annoying. He’s desperate to be involved and he’s pushing himself. He’s doing well, not too far.

“Sam (Gallagher) has had no reaction and he’s pushing too. They’re both running, both fine, so it’s a case of how far we push them and how quickly to make sure that when they come back they don’t get injured.”

Doubts - Edna Stevens, Ashley Phillips, Lynden Gooch, Bosun Lawal, Sam Gallagher. Outs - Ben Pearson.