Preview: Queens Park Rangers vs Coventry City - prediction, team news, lineups

Aiming to bounce back from an awful end to their most recent home contest, Queens Park Rangers host Coventry City at Loftus Road on Saturday afternoon in the Championship.

The R's somehow snatched defeat from the claws of victory against Wrexham last time out, whilst the Sky Blues' away struggles continued at Norwich City.

Match preview

Following three straight years of uninspiring and dangerous finishes in the bottom half of the Championship, Queens Park Rangers are amongst a cohort vying for a playoff finish this season, with the Londoners aiming to return to the Premier League for the first time since 2015.

However, the R's have distinctly struggled since the middle of the festive period and find themselves on a three-game winless run in the second tier, winning just one of their past seven league contests.

Julien Stephan's troops were on course for a much-needed Loftus Road maximum last weekend when Harvey Vale and Steve Cook efforts put the hosts 2-1 ahead against Wrexham, however the Welsh side bagged 93rd and 94th-minute goals from snatch all three points.

Last beating a second-tier opponent who does not go by the name of Sheffield Wednesday back on December 20, the R's have dropped down to 12th spot in the Championship rankings, four points behind the aforementioned Red Dragons in sixth spot.

Finding the net in his side's most recent league success over League One-bound Wednesday on January 4, leading marksman Rumarn Burrell has missed the last four matches due to a hamstring injury, with the Jamaican striker a major absentee for Saturday's hosts.

Following back-to-back triumphs over Leicester City and Millwall on home soil, Coventry City have returned to their recent rotten ways on the road, with the stuttering league leaders losing narrowly at Norwich on Monday night.

The Sky Blues were heading towards their first away maximum since November when Romain Esse scored his second goal in as many matches, however second-half strikes from Anis Ben Slimane and new arrival Ali Ahmed sealed a comeback success for the Canaries.

Despite winning just two of their last six second-tier battles, Frank Lampard's troops remain at the very summit of the Championship table, however Coventry are now only three points ahead of Middlesbrough in second spot.

As alluded to earlier, the Sky Blues' away form has fallen off a cliff in the midst of a seven-game winless run on the road, with the East Midlanders last victorious away at Middlesbrough on November 25.

A positive amongst a poor run of results, Coventry have seen their attacking ranks boosted massively this month with the arrivals of Esse, Yang Min-Hyeok and Jahnoah Markelo, whilst Brandon Thomas-Asante has returned from injury.

Queens Park Rangers Championship form: L L W D D L

Queens Park Rangers form (all competitions): L W L D D L

Coventry City Championship form: L D L W W L

Coventry City form (all competitions): D L L W W L

Team News

QPR are without the services of combative right-back Amadou Mbengue, who picked up a red card during the defeat to Wrexham last time out.

A number of the R's attacking stars are currently occupying beds in the medical room, including Kwame Poku (hamstring) and Koki Saito (muscle).

There are also issues for head coach Stephan to fight against in his backline, with Jake Clarke-Salter (ankle) and Ziyad Larkeche (knee) unavailable.

Coventry's injury list is steadily shortening as the business end of the campaign looms, although goalkeeper Oliver Dovin remains out because of a knee problem.

The Sky Blues are well-stocked in forward areas right now because Jack Rudoni recovering from a hip injury.

Queens Park Rangers possible starting lineup:

Walsh; Adamson, Dunne, Cook, Norrington-Davies; Madsen, Hayden, Dembele, Vale, Smyth; Kone

Coventry City possible starting lineup:

Rushworth; Van Ewijk, Thomas, Kitching, Dasilva; Torp, Grimes, Esse, Thomas-Asante, Mason-Clark; Wright

We say: Queens Park Rangers 1-2 Coventry City

Without a host of their top attackers, QPR could be there for the taking by pacesetters Coventry this weekend.

The Sky Blues need to turn their away fortunes around quickly, and an injury-hit Loftus Road could be the perfect destination to do so for Lampard's promotion chasers.