Birmingham are set to battle Derby and QPR for the signing of £5m-rated Japanese midfielder Koki Saito, 24, who spent time on loan at the R's last season from Belgian club Lommel. (Mike McGrath, external)
Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Friday's gossip column here.
New Queens Park Rangers signing Richard Kone could make his debut this Saturday (15:00 BST) as they travel to Watford.
The former Wycombe Wanderers striker was highly sought after but has been snapped up by the Hoops as they go in search of their first win of the season.
Watford are also looking for their first victory after an opening loss to Charlton.
Watford have won just two of their last 11 league games against QPR (D3 L6), a run which has seen the Hornets net multiple goals in just three of those matches.
QPR have failed to win and failed to score in each of their last two away league games against Watford (D1 L1), last enduring a longer winless run at Vicarage Road between 1998 and 2005 (L4).
After losing 1-0 to Charlton last weekend, Watford will be looking to avoid losing each of their opening two games of a second tier campaign for the first time since 2003-04.
QPR finished last season by winning each of their final three Championship away games in succession, last enjoying a longer winning run on the road between November 2021 and January 2022 (run of four).
On MD1 of the Championship, only Sheffield Wednesday (6) faced more big chances than Watford (4), while no side lost possession in their own defensive third more often than QPR (6).
Image source, Getty ImagesZiyad Larkeche requires surgery on his ACL after suffering an injury in training
Queens Park Rangers defender Ziyad Larkeche faces a long spell on the sidelines after sustaining an ACL knee injury in training which will require surgery.
The left-back signed for the club in 2023 and recently signed a new contract.
The Frenchman has featured 22 times for the Hoops, with previous loan spells at Barnsley and Dundee.
His most recent appearance for the club was in a pre-season friendly against Premier League side Brentford.
72+: The EFL Podcast
"I think it's all about carrying the journey we're on. There is an endgame, it's to ensure there is a legacy of a football club that is established in the Football League that represents the town of Bromley."
Aaron Paul, Jobi McAnuff and Phil Brown are joined by Bromley owner Robin Stanton-Greaves to discuss the EFL after the Ravens' shock win against Ipswich in the Carabao Cup on penalties.
They discuss the season ahead for the clubs in the Championship, new signings for Ipswich and Queens Park Rangers, an all-time EFL starting XI and the goalkeeper howlers from the new season so far.
Listen to the full episode of 72+ and more on BBC Sounds.
Queens Park Rangers have pulled out of signing Schalke forward Pape Meissa Ba following a medical. (Sky Sports Germany), external
Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Wednesday's gossip column here.
Image source, Getty ImagesRichard Kone has scored 23 goals in 74 appearances for Wycombe
Queens Park Rangers head coach Julien Stephan would not be drawn on transfer rumours linking his side with a move for Wycombe Wanderers striker Richard Kone.
The Frenchman was speaking after the Rs surrendered a two-goal lead to lose 3-2 at Plymouth Argyle in the first round of the Carabao Cup.
The Hoops sold last season's League One top scorer Charlie Kelman to Charlton Athletic last month and have sent Alfie Lloyd on loan to Leyton Orient.
Now reports have linked the club with 22-year-old Kone, who scored 21 goals for the Chairboys last season.
But when asked by BBC Sport whether fans could expect to see the young Ivorian wearing QPR colours this season, the former Rennes boss said:
"I want to speak about the QPR players and I can't do anything else so if you want to speak about [Rumarn] Burrell, [Rayan] Kolli and [Emmerson] Sutton, the striker, we can speak.
"I can't speak because it's not QPR's player."
First-half goals from Daniel Bennie and Kolli put the Rs 2-0 up at half-time at Home Park.
But Brendan Wiredu's headed goal halved the deficit inside three minutes of the restart before an Owen Oseni double completed the turnaround for the hosts.
Stephan gave full debuts to Jaiden Putman, Tylon Smith, Alex Wilkie and Jaylan Pearman, as well as introducing Kalen Brunson, Ashley Trujillo, Teddy Tarbotton and Cian Dillon off the bench for their first appearances for the club.
"It was a good opportunity to show the young players, or the very young players, and to give them some experience," Stephan said.
"And if we never put the young players on the pitch, it's not possible for them to have this experience. So, yeah, I think they learn a lot in this game. And they learn also that we need to be focused 100% every time."
Queens Park Rangers have agreed a deal with Wycombe Wanderers to sign Ivorian striker Richard Kone, beating Leicester City and Swansea City to the 22-year-old's signature. (London World), external
Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Tuesday's gossip column here.
Stephan: 'Not perfect, but very good'
QPR head coach Julien Stephan spoke to BBC Radio London after his opening game as boss ended in a 1-1 draw with Preston.
"It was a very good first half performance from the players," Stephan said. "It was not perfect but it was very, very good.
"Sometimes we did not have enough players in the box to finish a situation so we need to learn and improve on that.
"The goal we conceded at the beginning of the second half had an impact on the players and it was a difficult 15-20 minutes after that but they tried.
"I am a little bit disappointed with the result but not the performance."
The Julien Stephan era gets underway at Loftus Road on Saturday as Queens Park Rangers entertain Preston North End.
The Frenchman was appointed in June as successor to Marti Cifuentes and his first challenge comes in the form of Paul Heckingbottom's Lilywhites, who stayed up on the final day of last season.
QPR have won each of their last four league games against Preston North End, as many victories as across their prior 17 meetings with the Lancashire side combined (D4 L9).
Preston North End have lost four of their last six away league games against QPR (W2) and will be looking to avoid losing three in succession for the first time since 2010.
QPR have lost their opening league match in each of the last three seasons – they've never done so in four in a row before.
Preston have failed to win their opening league game in each of the last six seasons (D2 L4), though their last victory on the opening day did come against QPR (1-0 in 2018-19).
Only Cardiff, Oxford and Plymouth (2 each) won fewer away games in the Championship last season than Preston (3), with the Lancashire side winless in their last seven on the road (D2 L5).
QPR boss Julien Stephan praised his side's mindset following their 1-0 pre-season defeat by Premier League side Brentford.
"It was a difficult game but I liked the way the players stayed all together until the last second," the Frenchman told BBC Radio London.
The R's face Preston North End at Matrade Loftus Road in their Championship opener on Saturday.
Listen to all the latest QPR content on BBC Sounds.
Remembering Mark Lazarus
"He was just a man of the people. He would sit down with anyone, whether you were a chairman or a fan, and talk about that day in 1967 like it was yesterday.
"If anyone gets a chance, look up 'Mark Lazarus wins the league cup' and it's every schoolboy's dream and God bless him, he made us dream."
BBC Radio London is joined by Queens Park Rangers fan and podcaster Paul Finney to remember club legend Mark Lazarus after his passing at age 86.
Listen to the full tribute on BBC Sounds.
Image source, Getty ImagesQueens Park Rangers legend Mark Lazarus has died at the age of 86, the club said., external
The winger made 235 appearances over three stints with the Rs, scoring the winning goal against West Bromwich Albion in the 1967 League Cup final.
He scored a total of 84 goals for the club.
QPR head Julien Stephan said his side's performance against Heerenveen was their best game since the start of pre-season
Queens Park Rangers head coach Julien Stephan said his side's 2-2 draw with Heerenveen was their best performance so far in pre-season.
Kader Dembele and Daniel Bennie both scored in the match on Saturday.
The R's will face Brentford in their final pre-season game on Saturday, 2 August at Loftus Road before beginning the Championship season against Preston North End the following weekend.
Find all the latest QPR interviews on BBC Sounds.
