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In what promises to be a lively West London affair, Rangers head into the fixture on the back of a 1-0 win over play-off chasing Ipswich Town last weekend, which extended their mini unbeaten run to five matches.
Matty Phillips scored the only goal of the game against the Tractor Boys and he, like his fellow team-mates, will be gunning for revenge tomorrow, with Rangers keen to regain local bragging rights following the R’s disappointing 4-0 defeat at Craven Cottage earlier in the campaign.
The Cottagers, if truth be told, have struggled since that victory against Rangers in September, with only three league wins to their name.
Indeed, Fulham are without a league win in 2016, with four defeats and two draws.
QPR duo Alejandro Faurlin and Conor Washington face late fitness tests ahead of the game, with the duo both limping out of the triumph over Ipswich with thigh and ankle injuries respectively.
Fulham boss Slavisa Jokanovic could hand debuts to new recruits Zakaria Labyad and Michael Madl – with the former an unused substitute in last weekend’s 1-1 draw with Derby County after arriving on loan from Sporting.
Former Austria Under-21 Madl is at Craven Cottage on loan from Sturm Graz but it was Fernando Amorebieta who played at centre-back against the Rams after his loan at Middlesbrough was cut short.
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MATCH ODDS
QPR win: 10/11
Draw: 12/5
Fulham win: 5/2
LAST TIME OUT
Fulham 4, QPR 0 – Championship – Friday, 25th September 2015
HEAD TO HEAD
QPR wins: 13
Draws: 5
Fulham wins: 14
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: T Robinson
Assistant Referees: D Robathan & C Pollard
Fourth Official: K Stroud
Possible Starting Xl's
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Fulham – Likely line-up (4-4-2):
Lonergan;
Garbutt, Richards, Burn, Amorebieta;
Christensen, Cairney, O’Hara, Ince;
Dembele, McCormack
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QPR manager Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink looks ahead to the arrival of Fulham this weekend …
- Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink has called for another strong start by QPR this weekend
- QPR host Fulham at Loftus Road
- Conor Washington and Ale Faurlin in race against time to be fit
QPR head into the west London derby with a growing confidence after last weekend’s 1-0 win over Ipswich stretched the club’s unbeaten run to five games – not that Hasselbaink is too interested in his side’s run of form.
“We are not thinking about that (the unbeaten run) really,” he toldwww.qpr.co.uk. “That is all in the past.
“We are concentrating on what is ahead of us, and that’s another very competitive game against a local rival where we once again have to be really focused and really organised, and ready to take the game to them, and do ourselves justice.”
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A GOOD RUN: Hasselbaink's QPR stretched their unbeaten run to five games with last weekend's win at Ipswich Town
With local bragging rights at stake, a near-full house will welcome both teams onto the pitch and Hasselbaink understands this is more than just another game, although his squad will be approaching it like they would any other.
“It’s always more special for the fans,” he said. “For us, the work is the same - the focus is the same.
“We always expect 100% focus, determination and commitment. We always expect that from our players, whatever the game is and whoever it is against.”
In our last two fixtures in W12 – against Wolves and Ipswich – Rangers started on the front foot, and that is something the R’s gaffer wants to see repeated against Slavisa Jokanovic’s side.
“Starting strong helps the atmosphere in the stadium,” Hasselbaink said. “We want to put the opposition under pressure if we can from minute one. We are at home, Loftus Road is our house and we want to dictate what is happening in our house.
“We want to create our own fortunes and that is what we will be trying right from the beginning.”
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RACE TO BE FIT: Conor Washington is a doubt for Fulham clash owing to ankle injury sustained against the Tractor Boys
Striker Conor Washington (ankle) and midfielder Ale Faurlin (thigh) came off during the second half against the Tractor Boys, and Hasselbaink has confirmed both are in a race against time to be fit to face the Cottagers.
“They have not been able to train all week, but they are both training today (Friday) and we will make a decision after that,” he said.
Hasselbaink’s final message ahead of the game was for the R’s supporters to deliver the same atmosphere that helped the players over the line against Ipswich.
“The fans are vital for us, so vital,” he said. “Everybody could see against Ipswich what they did, and it just lifts your players, the players keep on going when the atmosphere is like that, just absolutely amazing.
“We need that again on Saturday.”
Read more at http://www.qpr.co.uk/news/article/j...p-qpr-fulham-2951068.aspx#11cCgJlrKGvLMFm7.99
What differences did you notice between the clubs?
''Both clubs have excellent fans. The QPR fans were probably a bit more vocal''
'Zesh Rehman'
http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2016/february/12/opposition-view-zesh-rehman-qpr?
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