QPR vs West Brom early injury news as 6 doubts and 1 out for enticing Championship opener

Ilias Chair impressed for QPR last season.Ilias Chair impressed for QPR last season.
Ilias Chair impressed for QPR last season. | Getty Images
Marti Cifuentes could be without last year’s standout creative force against West Brom.

QPR kick off a fresh Championship campaign against West Brom at Loftus Road on Saturday as Marti Cifuentes prepared for his first full season in charge of the R's.

It's a tough first test for the London side, with West Brom finishing in the play-off spots last season, but it was a dominant display from the hosts when last facing the Midlands side in March's 2-2 draw.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

LondonWorld looks through the early team news ahead of the big opening weekend clash.

QPR team news

QPR could be without key man Ilias Chair as the Championship season gets underway against West Brom this weekend. The Morocco international featured for the R's during pre-season friendlies in Catalunya last month but has been absent from recent outings back in the UK. The winger didn't feature against Tottenham Hotspur, Brighton or Reading.

That is believed to be due to an issue with his back. Speaking after the defeat to Spurs, Cifuentes said: “Illy had a bit of discomfort in his back yesterday after training."

That will be a blow for the hosts, with Chair the club's top scorer in the second tier last term, hitting the back of the net seven times. He also picked up eight assists across the campaign.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Scotland international Lyndon Dykes is also a doubt for Saturday. The 28-year-old endured a heartbreaking summer as an ankle ligament injury picked up in training for his national side saw him ruled out of Euro 2024 action.

Lyndon Dykes missed Euro 2024 action due to injury.Lyndon Dykes missed Euro 2024 action due to injury.
Lyndon Dykes missed Euro 2024 action due to injury. | Getty Images

Dykes did return to fitness when back with QPR, coming off the bench against Reading but was then substituted again due to a concern. Cifuentes confirmed the player had sustained an injury to the same ankle injured already this summer.

Defender Morgan Fox might also not be fit in time for the Baggies' visit. The defender was absent from the team that faced Brighton.

West Brom team news

West Brom also have a handful of injury and fitness concerns as the start of the Championship campaign looms large. Baggies boss Carlos Corberan has had a busy summer transfer window of action, despite financial worries hanging over the club, but some of those new arrivals may not feature at Loftus Road.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Former Barnsley striker Devante Cole was snapped up by the Championship side but is yet to feature in pre-season, as per BirminghamWorld. Defender Paddy McNair is also yet to see minutes.

Corberan said: “We bring in this week Cole to the club. He’s a player who didn’t make pre-season because he was free in the market after Barnsley, he didn’t have a club. He’s started pre-season four weeks later than the group, that’s why he couldn’t play minutes today.

“McNair that is something a little bit similar. He arrived at the club before but he has a small pain in the knee that doesn’t allow him to train regularly. He couldn’t train in the last two days, that’s why he couldn’t have the first minutes today."

Winger Jed Wallace is also a doubt as he manages an ongoing abductor problem that has hampered his pre-season, as well as a new calf injury. The 30-year-old is set to have a scan this week, which will reveal further results.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The influential Grady Diangana, who picked up seven goals and eight assists last season, is expected to miss out. Corberan said: “The other player injured was Grady Diangana. He arrived to the club after he was in the international break and he had an injury in the calf. With this injury, the first day he tried to see how he felt and he then felt more pain than before. The scan showed he had an injury that moves him out of the group for six to eight weeks.”

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.

Follow us
©National World Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice