QPR striker could make debut against Portsmouth as Julien Stephan confirms huge injury boost
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Rumarn Burrell remains a long term absentee for QPR but the London outfit could be handed an injury boost this weekend.
QPR head coach Julien Stephan has been handed a much needed injury boost ahead of taking on Portsmouth this weekend with Justin Obikwu in contention to return.
The R’s have been making do without the services of Rumarn Burrell since early January. The former Burton Albion man, who was signed last summer, had plundered 10 Championship goals over the first half of the campaign.
Obikwu was signed from Coventry City in January for a reported £500,000, having spent the first half of the season on loan at Lincoln City in League One. The 21-year-old is yet to make his R’s debut, having arrived with an injury.
Julien Stephan provides Justin Obikwu injury update
However, Stephan has confirmed that the player is in contention to face Portsmouth. The QPR boss told West London Sport: “He trained this week and will train on Friday. We need to continue to rebuild him physically because he has not played for a long time.
“But it’s an option for me to involve him in the 20 players. He’s not ready to start the game, but perhaps ready to play some minutes if we need him. We will continue after the international break and the next weeks to rebuild him physically. But it’s an option, yes, for the next game.”
QPR host Portsmouth at Loftus Road on Saturday as Stephan looks to build on a 3-1 win at Leicester City last time out. That victory came off the back of four consecutive defeats to Southampton, Sheffield United, Middlesbrough and Birmingham City with 12 goals conceded in those matches.
Speaking after the win over the Foxes, Stephan said: "We deserved this win because we showed great character, great personality, and very good collective connection.
"Even though we conceded the first goal we stayed very focused on what we needed to do on the pitch. It was very important for me mentally that we stayed focused. We needed to manage cleverly at the end of the game and we did that very well."
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