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

Stoke City make the trip to Loftus Road to face Queens Park Rangers on Saturday afternoon with the opportunity to strengthen their hold of a top-two place in the Championship table.

However, the Potters play a QPR side that are one of just two teams to have won their last two fixtures in the second tier.

Match preview

With Stoke having spent much of the last few years scrapping at the wrong end of the table, supporters may be apprehensive when it comes to anticipating a promotion bid this time around.

Nevertheless, Mark Robins and his squad have done everything to suggest that they could remain as the surprise packages of the division with four wins from five games.

Aside from losing 1-0 at home to West Bromwich Albion prior to the international break, the Potters have been nigh-on perfect with victories coming over Derby County, Sheffield Wednesday, Southampton and Birmingham City.

Overcoming big-spending Blues in their most recent contest felt like a statement of intent, keeping a second clean sheet of the campaign in a 1-0 win that leaves the club with the joint-best defensive record in the division.

Manchester City loanee Divin Mubama looks a key addition down the middle of the attack, yet it is Sorba Thomas who has emerged as one of the stars of this season's Championship thus far with two goals and three assists from just five appearances.

Queens Park Rangers have endured a far more topsy-turvy start to the campaign to the extent where Julian Stephan's position was being called into question after just four matches.

The 7-1 capitulation at Coventry City, making it 13 goals conceded in four games in all competitions, suggested that the squad were not playing for the Frenchman, despite his success and experience elsewhere.

That has instead proven to be a turning point, though, with QPR recording back-to-back 3-1 wins over Charlton Athletic and Wrexham either side of the international break.

Incredibly, there have now been 26 goals in QPR's six games this season, but Stephan will not mind at this stage with the Hoops having advanced into 12th position in the standings.

Richard Kone is also proving to be an inspired signing from Wycombe Wanderers, netting in his last three Championship appearances.

Queens Park Rangers Championship form:

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Queens Park Rangers form (all competitions):

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Stoke City Championship form:

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Stoke City form (all competitions):

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Team News

QPR will remain without the likes of Ilias Chair and Kwame Poku who will not come back into contention until the end of the month at the earliest.

Nevertheless, providing that no-one picked up issues from the win at Wrexham, Stephan may be prepared to select the same first XI.

Karamoko Dembele is an alternative to Koki Saito in the final third if Stephan wishes to recall the winger.

With Tomas Rigo having impressed in central midfield against Birmingham, Stoke could also select an unchanged starting lineup for this fixture.

Despite failing to score in three matches, Mubama is expected to continue to lead the frontline

Queens Park Rangers possible starting lineup:

Nardi; Dunne, Morrison, Mbengue, Norrington-Davies; Varane, Madsen; Vale, Kone, Saito; Burrell

Stoke City possible starting lineup:

Johansson; Tchamadeu, Lawal, Wilmot, Cresswell; Rigo, Pearson; Manhoef, Baker, Thomas; Mubama

We say: Queens Park Rangers 1-2 Stoke City

Having scored three times in their last two fixtures, QPR's confidence will be sky-high ahead of this contest. However, while the visitors have not been free-scoring of late, they find ways to win, leading us to predict a hard-fought triumph for Robins' team.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.