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Match Preview
Chris Ramsey will be forced to ring the changes for tonight’s trip to Sunderland, with Richard Dunne, Nedum Onuoha and Charlie Austin all ruled out of the clash at the Stadium of Light.
Defensive duo Dunne (knee) and Onuoha (hamstring) are likely to be sidelined for three months and 3-4 weeks respectively, but fears over a long term foot injury to Austin have been allayed, with the striker likely to only miss one match owing to the injury sustained in Saturday’s loss to Southampton.
Ramsey confirmed on Monday that experienced duo Rio Ferdinand and Bobby Zamora are likely to start against Gus Poyet’s men, but Sandro is not yet fit following a recent knee injury.
Poyet, himself, has admitted Connor Wickham has a ‘great chance’ to return to fitness in time to face the R’s. Wickham suffered a calf injury last week which subsequently ruled him out of Saturday’s draw at Swansea City, but he is expected to return, as is wide-man Adam Johnson.
However, there remain doubts over the availability of Jack Rodwell and Emanuele Giaccherini.
Rangers, of course, are still searching for their first points of the season on their travels, having lost all 11 Barclays Premier League away fixtures so far.
They will, however, be buoyed by their victory against the Mackems at Loftus Road earlier this season, when Charlie Austin’s goal clinched all three points for the Hoops.
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R’s attacker, Adel Taarabt: “This is a big game, a massive game.
“You can see this game as a six-point match because they are down the table as well.
“We will need to work very hard but I hope we can go there and come away with the right result.”
Mackems midfielder, Sebastian Larsson: “We feel good at the moment, we’re happy with how things are going and we’re looking like a much bigger threat with Jermain Defoe up front.
“He’s the type of player who is always looking to create and I tried a few times to get in behind him today, they didn’t quite pull off but we’ll keep trying because it will happen.
“We’re picking up at the right time, now we’ve got another game on Tuesday and if we win that one against QPR the Swansea result becomes a very good point for us and extends our run and builds our confidence even more.”
Possible Starting Xl's
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Potential Enemy of R's !
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Jermain Defoe
Jermain Defoe began his career with Charlton Athletic before moving to West Ham United where he fired the Hammers to the Premier League Academy title.
A natural goalscorer, Defoe made his professional debut at the age of 17 in 1-0 League Cup win over Walsall, coming off the bench with 77 minutes played to net the winner.
A loan spell with Bournemouth followed and the forward impressed for the Cherries, scoring 18 goals in 29 appearances before returning to the Boleyn Ground to score 14 goals in the 2001-02 season.
Goals continued to flow from Defoe’s boot up and down the country and a move to Tottenham Hotspur came in January 2004 following West Ham United’s relegation from the top flight.
In 2004 Defoe made his England debut in a 1-0 defeat to Sweden before scoring his first international goal five months later in a win over Poland, and the forward has since gone on to make 55 appearances for the Three Lions, scoring 19 goals, whilst representing them at the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012.
Defoe also spent time with Portsmouth before returning to White Hart Lane where he picked up where he left off, becoming the club’s fifth highest goalscorer of all-time and becoming their leading goalscorer in European competition.
In January 2014 Defoe joined MLS side Toronto FC scoring 11 goals in 16 games for the club, before returning to England to sign for Sunderland last month but would've been better off signing for the Ranger's.
Famous Fans
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Wendy James (QPR) - Heather Mills (Sunderland)
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Sunderland win: 10/11
Draw: 5/2
QPR win: 3/1
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QPR 1, Sunderland 0 – Premier League – Saturday 30th August 2014
Scorers: QPR – Austin
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Sunderland wins: 13
Draws: 7
QPR wins: 12
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Referee: M Atkinson
Assistant Referee: S Long & M Wilkes
Fourth Official: G Salisbury
Key match stats (supplied by Opta)
Sunderland have netted just six goals in their last eight Premier League home games.
QPR have become the first team to lose their first 11 away games of a top-flight season since Liverpool in 1953/54.
Rangers have scored just six goals in their last 14 Premier League away matches.
Sunderland have been given 62 yellow cards this season in the Premier League; nine more than any other side.
The Black Cats have won just two of their last 13 Premier League matches at the Stadium of Light (W2 D6 L5).
Charlie Austin will be missing for QPR in this game through injury. He’s netted 13 PL goals this season for the Hoops, while no other player has more than three for the club.
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QPR have lost every Premier League away game this season but did beat Sunderland in the reverse fixture at Loftus Road thanks to Charlie Austin's goal in a 1-0 win
Jermain Defoe will be looking to score in three successive Premier League appearances for the first time since March 2008 (five games in a row).
Defoe has already scored more Premier League goals for Sunderland (2) in three appearances as the man he replaced, Jozy Altidore, scored in 42 PL apps for the club (1).
QPR have only scored the first goal in five of their 24 Premier League games this season; fewer occasions than any other side.
Sunderland have drawn half (12) of their Premier League games this season; three more than any other side.
I feel that a good win tonight will set us up for a chance of lifting this come the end of the season. Come on you Sooper............
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