QPR Preview

After last years play off final heartbreak to Cardiff, Ian Holloway's men were installed as one of the pre-season favourites to win Division Two. With the table starting to take shape, that assessment looks fairly solid. Rangers sit in third place, 3 points behind leaders Plymouth with a game in hand.

Holloway boosted his side in the summer with the purchases of Eric Sabin, Martin Rowlands, and Kevin McLeod (initially on loan). Richard Edghill and Tony Thorpe joined soon after the season started. Ex England cap Warren Barton joined just in time for last months league meet at Blundell Park.

QPR's form since beating Town has been anything but steady with 3 wins, 2 draws and 2 defeats. Is this the ideal time to play them?

Tony Crane and Darren Barnard come back into contention after suspension and injury.

Greg Young is expected to drop to the bench at Crane's return. Barnard may face a battle to regain his leftback slot after a solid performance last week from Jason Crowe.

Paul Groves may be tempted to play Crowe in a wing position though, with neither Iain Anderson or Marcel Cas impressing in recent weeks.

Both Anderson and Cas could, in theory, lose their places with Graham Hockless putting in another fine performance for the reserves in midweek.

Phil Jevons is likely to lose his place on the bench with a 'calf injury'. David Soames will be rewarded for his midweek reserve hat-trick with Jevons' place.

Much to the fans disappointment, the ineffective Onuora/Boulding partnership looks set to continue into the FA Cup.

Win Odds - 7/4

QPR's midweek victory over Dagenham in the LDV brought Ian Holloway an unwanted injury list.

Marcus Bean (thigh), Richard Edghill (dead leg), Gino Padula (hamstring) and Kevin Gallen (thigh) all face late fitness tests before kick-off.

Warren Barton limped out of the Dagenham game after five minutes with a hamstring problem, he will miss out for definite.

Also out is Canadian midfielder Marc Bircham, he of funny hair and crappy play acting fame. The former Millwall man has a thigh injury. Another thigh injury, female physio at Loftus Road by any chance?

'Keeper Nick Culkin is touch and go with a virus. Long term absentees Paul Furlong, Danny Shittu (snigger. Go on. You want to laugh) and Matt Rose won't even make the trip.

Two players who will make the trip are 16-year-olds Ryan Johnson and Andrew Fletcher, such is the level of Holloway's injury crisis.

Win Odds - 5/4

Boulding was denied in the league against Rangers. But if he can run at veteran Steve Palmer, he will certainly have the pace on him. The league encounter saw Boulding forced to play a physical game which, as expected, he lost.

Crying out for a creative player behind him, i.e Jevons and/or Hockless

First Goal Odds - 7/1

Ex-Lincoln man Ainsworth is a genuine threat with his long range shooting skills which have been used to great effect already this season.

Darren Barnard will need to keep tight on the former Wimbledon man.

First Goal Odds - 14/1

However the former Brentford man caused Town no end of problems last month, despite playing out of position at leftback.

The Hammersmith born winger started out with Farnborough before Brentford shelled out £45,000 in 1998. After an up and down five years at Griffin Park, he moved on a free to QPR in the summer.

A very tricky individual who is not put off by a battle, despite his lack of size and weight.

Despite glimpses, it wasn't until the spring of 2002 that his best form came out. Playing as the provider for Michael Boulding, the duo fired Town to safety when all looked doomed before.

Amazingly released by the club that summer, Allen had spells with Bristol Rovers and Peterborough but failed to earn a long term contract.

Now with non-league Hornchurch.