Clarets at Loftus Road

The Clarets are on the road again this Saturday as they travel down to London to face QPR at Loftus Road. We really do need to win this one and reverse this disasterous run of form with no win now in ten matches. There were encouraging signs against Derby and we have to hope this can now be consolidated and we can return with three valuable points and maintain the ever decreasing hope of a play-offs challenge.

'It's been a while since we played against QPR. It was our first game of the season here. There has been a big turnaround down there in terms of personnel,' said Cotterill.

'It's a good game for us. We know it will be tough.

'They are down there and scrapping at the moment. We've got to make sure we fight as hard as they fight. If we play anything like we did the other night, certainly in the last hour of the game, then I'm looking forward to watching us play again.'

Danny Cullip is in line to make his QPR debut in defence after joining from Nottingham Forest. Ray Jones is expected to start up-front in place of Paul Furlong, but Marc Bircham has a long-term injury and the midfielder will not feature in this match.

Stefan Bailey is banned after being red carded against Luton, while Martin Rowlands (calf) and defender Marcus Bignot (knee) are also sidelined.

I am interested in the Vital QPR Editor's comments in relation to this and repeat them below:

Smith has been playing poorly of late but seems guaranteed a start regardless of that. We can't afford passengers at this stage of the season so we need him to play well tomorrow.

Djemba-Djemba is suspended for this match after being sent off against Derby. Steve Jones (calf) and Wayne Thomas (foot) are both doubtful together with the injured Frank Sinclair. Steve Caldwell could make his debut after completing his transfer from Sunderland although he did not play in a match last month. With Thomas out and possibly Sinclair, Cotterill may well include Caldwell in the team, possibly on the bench.

Its likely therefore that the team could look something like this:

Pollitt, Foster, Duff, McGreal, Harley, Elliott, Gudjonsson, J. O`Connor, Mahon, Lafferty, Akinbiyi.

Subs: Coyne, McCann, G. O`Connor, Spicer, Caldwell.

Man of the Match against Derby in the last match being lively and in the thick of things. He will want to continue in that vein. Lets hope we will also see one of these spectacular goals from long distance that the defensive midfielder has a reputation for.

This was the opening game of the season at Turf Moor and we came out comfortable winners 2-0 on the day with a brace of goals from Steve Jones. The murmurs from the Clarets fans that day were that QPR looked a poor team and could well struggle and that would appear to have been the case since despite the efforts of John Gregory.

Dermot Gallagher, a referee with Premiership experience

Queens Park Rangers have managed to pick up just two wins from their last six home games and have lost three of them, They have scored only 5 goals and let in seven.The Clarets form has also been woeful of late with no win now in ten matches with the last time we won away being against Luton back in October. We also have not scored in the last six League matches and we simply have to break that miserable statistic against QPR. The R's now find themselves placed 22nd and in the relegation zone on 30 points and they will be wanting to rectify that situation. The Clarets however although 15th and seven places higher still only have 38 points and its crucial the bottom three do not start getting within spitting distance. Although on paper we should win this match, I suspect the most we can hope for is a draw and I predict a 1-1 result.

Burnley v Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday 10th February@3pm KO

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