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

Queens Park Rangers will look to get back to winning ways in the Championship when they welcome managerless Southampton to Loftus Road on Wednesday night.

Meanwhile, the Saints are winless in five and are on the hunt for a new manager after parting company with Will Still.

Match preview

After Julien Stephan's side were thrashed 7-1 to Coventry City back in August, they enjoyed a run of six games without losing to get their season back on track.

However, a narrow defeat away to Derby County was followed by a heavy 4-1 defeat to Ipswich Town on Saturday, leaving them 13th in the table with 18 points.

Level at the break against the Tractor Boys, QPR conceded two Marcelino Nunez free kicks, leading to yet another heavy defeat.

Stephan will be hoping a big loss will spark another unbeaten run that can spark another strong run and re-establish momentum in the push towards the playoff places.

Defensively they remain vulnerable, having conceded the third-most goals in the Championship, placing added pressure on their attacking unit to deliver.

Starting the season poorly, taking one point from their opening four, the R's have recovered well overall and could move to within a point of the playoff positions with victory here.

As for Southampton, they travel to London with Under-21 head coach Tonda Eckert taking interim charge.

The club have struggled since their playoff final win in 2024, winning just four of 51 league matches since then and urgently needing to get things back on track.

Still's departure followed a run of only two wins from 13 Championship matches, leaving Southampton just one place above the relegation zone.

Eckert will now attempt to bring fresh ideas and a short-term lift as he begins his first match in temporary charge.

Like their opponents, the Saints have shown defensive vulnerabilities, conceding in all but two matches this season and letting in late goals in their previous two fixtures, a sign of fragility and confidence issues at the back.

Queens Park Rangers Championship form:

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Southampton Championship form:

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Team News

Queens Park Rangers have had the luxury of key players returning in recent weeks but will still be without goalkeeper Joe Walsh and full-back Ziyad Larkeche due to injury.

They have appeared to come away from their latest defeat unscathed, but Stephan may be tempted to change things after his side conceded four goals at home.

Should changes be made at the back, Rhys Norrington-Davies is one player who could potentially come into the side.

As for Southampton, there will be some curiosity surrounding their first starting XI under the new interim manager, with wholesale changes potentially being made.

A quad injury means Eckert will not be able to call upon Elias Jelert, who has missed the last three games and could be out until Christmas.

Welington is also unavailable as he serves the second match of his suspension, while Ross Stewart is unlikely to feature again in 2025 due to a hamstring issue.

One possible change could come in goal, with Gavin Bazunu, who registered an assist in the Premier League International Cup last week, pushing to return to the starting lineup after an injury-riddled 2025.

Queens Park Rangers possible starting lineup:

Nardi; Dunne, Cook, Norrington-Davies, Esquerdinha; Vale, Hayden, Madsen, Chair; Kone, Burell

Southampton possible starting lineup:

Bazunu; Stephens, Wood, Harwood-Bellis; Roerslev, Downes, Jander, Manning; Azaz, Armstrong, Fellows

We say: Queens Park Rangers 1-1 Southampton

With QPR inconsistent at home and Southampton an unknown quantity under their interim coach, this fixture could be a cagey affair. Both sides have not tasted victory in a while, and we expect that run to continue with the points being shared at Loftus Road.

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