Stoke City vs QPR ‘new’ kick-off time, team news with 6 doubts and 6 outs as Potters handed international blows
Stoke City players have not come through the international break unscathed ahead of facing QPR this weekend.
QPR will look to build on a good point against Leeds United at Loftus Road before the international break when making the trip to Stoke City this weekend.
Marti Cifuentes’ side did throw away a two goal lead against the league leaders but that point stopped a rot of four back-to-back Championship defeats. Meanwhile, the Potters were beaten 1-0 by Millwall thanks to a painful 94th minute winner before the break.
Five places and six points separate 15th placed QPR and 20th placed Stoke City in the table. Here’s your Stoke City vs QPR team news.
Stoke City team news
Stoke City will make a late call on the fitness of Ali Al-Hamadi ahead of QPR. The striker was forced out of international duty with Iraq over the break with a groin injury. The forward was initially said to be out for a month but is already back and working with physios to be ready earlier than that.
Bae Jun-ho was away with QPR star Yang Min-hyeok with the South Korea international side. He was unexpectedly left out of the squad for the draw with Jordan on Tuesday and watched from the stands with injured PSG man Lee Kang-in. That makes him a doubt for the weekend.
Ryan Mmaee hasn’t played in the Championship since August but did get through 45 minutes of Premier League 2 action against Derby County and scored earlier this month. Sol Sidibe is said to be ‘stepping up his training sooner than expected’ by the Stoke Sentinel after a fracture in his lower back but QPR will likely come too soon.
Doubts – Ali Al-Hamadi, Bae Jun-ho, Ryan Mmaee. Outs – Sol Sidibe.
QPR team news
QPR internationals Jimmy Dunne, Yang Min-hyeok, Paul Smyth, Kenneth Paal appear to have come through the break unscathed, which is a huge relief for Marti Cifuentes. Ronnie Edwards also looks to be injury free after two cameos off the bench for the England under-21 side.
The fitness doubts ahead of the visit of Leeds United were Ilias Chair and Jonathan Varane. The former hobbled off after 55 minutes against Middlesbrough with what looked to be a hamstring injury and wasn’t in the squad to face the Whites. Speaking after the Boro defeat, Cifuentes said: “We need to make tests. Let’s wait until we do some scans and see what it is.”
Jonathan Varane has now missed the last three Championship outings. The midfielder was initially absent against West Brom as a ‘precaution due to a minor injury’. That would surely point to a return after two weeks off but the player remains a doubt.
Earlier this month, it was confirmed that midfield linchpin Sam Field might not play again this season. A statement on the club website confirmed: “Unfortunately, Sam Field sustained an ankle injury following a tackle in our fixture at Portsmouth on February 22nd. The midfielder will now start a rehabilitation process with a projected return to full fitness in 6-9 weeks.”
Striker Rayan Kolli has enjoyed a breakthrough season but hasn’t featured in the squad since the 2-1 win over Blackburn Rovers last month. The 20-year-old was set to rejoin full training with the squad in the middle of March which points to a comeback soon.
Zan Celar and Jake Clarke-Salter remain sidelined with longer term problems. Celar is said to be ‘progressing well’ but no comeback date was issued with Clarke-Salter making ‘early progress’ following hip surgery in January.
Meanwhile, January transfer signing Harvey Vale continues his rehab on a back injury having arrived from Chelsea but isn’t expected to feature this season. Koki Saito was sent off against Leeds United and will now serve his suspension for a straight red card.
Doubt – Jonathan Varane, Ilias Chair, Rayan Kolli. Outs – Sam Field, Koki Saito, Zan Celar, Jake Clarke-Salter, Harvey Vale.
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