Queens Park Rangers

QPR host Blackburn in the Championship on Tuesday night (19:45 GMT) seeking to avoid a third straight defeat, while Rovers are aiming for back-to-back wins.

Rovers lie fifth and while they are 13 points adrift of fourth-placed Sunderland, they are at the head of a pack of eight teams separated by just four points in the race for the top-six.

The Rs start the day in 14th but know a victory would take them within three points of the play-off places.

• QPR have lost both of their past two home league games against Blackburn, never before losing three in a row.

• Blackburn Rovers have won five of their past six league games against QPR (L1), keeping four clean sheets during that time.

• QPR's 0-2 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday ended a five-game home winning run in the Championship. The Hoops haven't lost successive home league matches without scoring within a single season since April 2023 (run of 3).

• Blackburn have lost three of their past four away league outings (D1), as many as their previous 12 on the road (W6 D3 L3).

• Only against Cardiff City (7) and Hull City (6) has Blackburn's Andreas Weimann scored more goals in his English league career than he has against QPR (5). That said, the Austrian has failed to score in his last 10 league appearances against the Hoops since bagging a brace for Bristol City in August 2018.

Image source, Rex Features

QPR assistant head coach Xavi Calm said the team have to "move on" to Tuesday's game against Blackburn after falling to a 2-1 defeat to Millwall.

Calm was taking charge of the team for the London derby with QPR boss Marti Cifuentes missing through illness.

"He's [Cifuentes] OK, not good enough to come to the game. He was on the couch with the blanket, trying to be in touch with us and hopefully he'll recover as soon as possible, but today it wasn't possible to be here for him," Calm told BBC Radio London.

"[The start to the game was] Tough because we didn't expect to concede this type of goal early in the game. We reacted really well after conceding the goal with an amazing goal, but it's always a shame to concede these type of goals that we never concede usually.

"The second goal, maybe we were not as good as we normally are. And in the second half we reacted again but we didn't get the one point that we had the feeling we deserved.

"In the second half we pushed, the lads did really well. They gave us everything until the end, the bench impact was there and was good but at the end it is a 2-1, no point for us, and we have to move on and try to get the points on Tuesday.

"The lads are working hard. They are doing everything to get the points."

On Jimmy Dunne: "He's a Queens Park Rangers player. He felt a little bit the groin two days ago and we picked the best team we had available to play the game. He's our player, hopefully he's going to carry on as one of us."

Millwall take on QPR in a London derby at The Den on Saturday afternoon looking to continue their recent improvement in form.

The Lions ended a six-game winless run with two wins on the bounce and face a Hoops side who have been in impressive form themselves before a 2-0 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday last weekend.

QPR had won eight of their previous 12 games (D3 L1) and are still within six points of the play-offs, while Millwall are seven points off the top six.

• Millwall have won just three of their past 13 league games against QPR (D4 L6), though two of those victories have come on home soil via 2-0 scorelines.

• QPR have won just two of their past 11 away league games against Millwall (D5 L4), failing to score in six matches during that time.

• Following their victory away at Portsmouth (1-0), Millwall will be aiming to win three consecutive games in the Championship for the first time since November 2024 (a run of four under Neil Harris).

• Having won each of their last two away league games against Plymouth and Hull, QPR will be looking to win three in succession on the road for the first time since October 2022.

• No QPR player has been directly involved in more Championship goals this season than Rayan Kolli (6 – four goals, two assists), although only one of those six came in an away match (scored v Plymouth this month).

QPR are in talks with Chelsea over the signing of England Under-20 international Harvey Vale. (Sky Sports, external)

Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column.

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Chelsea attacker Harvey Vale is close to leaving his boyhood club in January.

The 21-year-old has a host of options in the Championship but has highlighted that his preference is to join Queens Park Rangers, with whom he has agreed personal terms.

A deal between QPR and Chelsea isn't finalised but the Blues are targeting a significant sell-on clause for the academy star who is out of contract in the summer.

Vale rejected a move to Saudi Pro League club Al Ettifaq in September in favour of continuing his career in Europe.

Fellow U21s attacker Deivid Washington could return to Santos.

However, the Brazilian club are understandably targeting a move for Neymar first and have put all their efforts in to bringing in the former Barcelona and PSG superstar - who cancelled his contract at Al Hilal this week.

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

QPR look set to sign Yang Min-hyeok on loan until the end of the season from Tottenham, according to sources close to the deal.

The 18-year-old winger joined Spurs from Gangwon FC in South Korea in January but has yet to make a senior appearance under Ange Postecoglou.

Yang has been an unused substitute in several games this season.

Marti Cifuentes' QPR are 13th in the Championship table.

Asked about a loan move for Yang at his news conference on Wednesday, Ange Postecoglou said: "He's very young and we feel he needs to be allowed to settle.

"With our current situation, the last thing I want to do is throw in another young player.

"He's obviously a long-term investment for the football club and we've got to do the right thing by him."

QPR will bring in Tottenham's new forward Min-Hyeok Yang on loan until the end of the season after the 18-year-old South Korean was signed by Spurs last summer but arrived in December. (Sky Sports), external

The Hoops are also set to battle Swedish club AIK for the signing of Hull City midfielder Xavier Simons after the 21-year-old has fallen down the pecking order since Tigers boss Ruben Selles arrived. (Football League World), external

Want more transfer news and rumours from the EFL? Read Wednesday's gossip column here.

Sheffield United are considering a move for QPR defender Jimmy Dunne before the end of the January transfer window. (Yorkshire Post), external

Want more transfer news and rumours from the EFL? Read Monday's gossip column here.

Image source, PA Media

Following their 2-0 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday, QPR manager Marti Cifuentes told BBC Radio London:

"We started the game pretty well without creating a lot of chances against a team we knew would be very physical and tried to destroy our game as much as they can.

"It was not our best second half and they were more clinical than us. Paul (Nardi) made a good save from the first one but their two goals were a credit to them.

"Their keeper made a very good save from Ronnie (Edwards) but the final third could have been better.

"Refereeing should be about protecting the game as well, when there is one team that is trying to be proactive and one that is reactive, and is constantly stopping.

"Credit to them, they do it really well, and were clinical, but it seems today there were some situations that could have been reffed in a different way."

QPR announced midfielder Ilias Chair had signed a new "long-term" deal, external at Loftus Road.

The 27-year-old Morocco international has been a QPR player his entire professional career and has amassed 255 appearances for the Rs, scoring 35 goals.

Image source, Getty Images

Following their 2-0 win at QPR, Sheffield Wednesday manager Danny Rohl told BBC Radio Sheffield:

"Credit to my team. I demanded one more push this week, and it's not easy to come to QPR and take something, they've had a good run.

"The first 15 to 20 minutes was not easy, a lot of set-pieces and not-nice football, but we came step by step into the game and in the second half in the right moments, we scored and then kept the clean sheet.

"It's a really good performance. There was a feeling after the Bristol game [from others] that this was a bad season, but that's wrong.

"We were very focused, very organised and concentrated. In the second half I can't remember them having one chance against us."

Image source, Getty Images

We asked on Thursday what you think QPR need to do in the transfer market before the January window closes.

Here are some fans' responses:

Gazza: We need a striker. No offence to [Michael] Frey and [Zan] Celar but they just don't cut it at this level. Fortunately the rest of the team have all contributed very well. A special mention to Rayan Kolli, who is coming on extremely well and will be a big name within a couple of seasons. Oh, and Marti will be going nowhere folks so hands off!

Justin: Left-back - [Kenneth] Paal won't last every game. Right-back - the choices we have are poor. Central midfielder - we still look a bit light. Proper goalscorer - the last one we had was [Charlie] Austin.

Danny: Would love to see club bring in a striker! Kolli and Frey have been doing very well but if we want to push for the play-offs we need a bit more firepower! [Kader] Dembele returning will be a big boost.

Glenn: A striker.

Image source, Getty Images

Ben: I wouldn't say that QPR need to make any additions. The squad has depth, and with [Steve] Cook, Dembele and [Liam] Morrison to come back into the fold, things are looking very bright indeed.

Paul: A top-class striker who can score 10-to-15 goals a season.

Philip: After the poor start we had, which I feel was down to getting the eight new signings to gel, we are now showing how good the signings were. [Kieran] Morgan, [Jonathan] Varane, [Koki] Saito etc. have started to excel as well as Kolli, [Alfie] Lloyd performing well since they stepped up from the development squad. With the players we have already got then a play-off place is within our sight.

Malcolm: A class striker would be awesome but the reality is it's unlikely now.

Charlie: They need to get Koki Saito on the wing, get a new midfielder and also improve the defence.

Mark: We need a left-back. New contract for Jimmy Dunne.

Two teams locked together in mid-table meet on Saturday (15:00 GMT) as QPR host Sheffield Wednesday.

The Rs have climbed steadily up the table under Marti Cifuentes over the past couple of months and go into this game ahead of Danny Rohl's visitors on goal difference.

Both teams know they could go within a point of the play-off places with a win.

• QPR have won just one of their past six league games against Sheffield Wednesday (D2 L3), a 4-1 home victory in April 2021.

• Sheffield Wednesday won their last away league game against QPR 2-0 in April and will be looking to win two matches in succession at Loftus Road against the Hoops for the first time since October 2000.

• QPR have won each of their past five home league games and could win six in succession at Loftus Road for the first time since a run of eight victories ending in February 2004.

• Sheffield Wednesday have lost their past two away league games, conceding exactly three goals in each. Not since March 2021 have the Owls lost three consecutive away matches whilst conceding 3+ goals in each.

• Against no side has Sheffield Wednesday's Josh Windass netted more Championship goals than against QPR (3), with each of his last two coming at Loftus Road.

QPR are set to win the race for highly rated 17-year-old Aberdeen defender Timothy Akindileni. (Football Insider, external)

Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip page.

Image source, Getty Images

QPR fans - are you dreaming? Four league wins in a row, one defeat in 13 Championship games, and only four points off a play-off spot.

Would you ever have expected this run when the Hoops were propping up the table in October?

But those who said "In Marti we trust" are being vindicated for their loyalty as the Spaniard has gotten a tune from the band after a scratchy and squeaky start.

With this fine run showing no signs of halting, and with less than two weeks of the January transfer window remaining, now seems like a good time to take stock and consider the following questions:

What areas do the Rs need to address in the transfer window?

Who would you like to see them bring in?

How far can this team go? Will they make the play-offs?

Let us know your thoughts here.

Image source, Getty Images

QPR's excellent run of form in the Championship is all down to the players, according to head coach Marti Cifuentes.

The Londoners won 2-1 at Hull City on Tuesday to make it just one defeat from their past 13 league games as they moved up to ninth place in the table.

"The players are working well, they kept the belief in what we are doing, the supporters are helping as well which is a big part of it - the togetherness we have at the moment which is a continuation of what we achieved last season," Cifuentes told BBC Radio London.

"Hopefully it won't be many but we are going to lose another game at some point so we need to keep understanding there are areas of our game we can keep improving."

Rangers are now only four points short of the play-off places having been bottom of the table and five points adrift of safety on 26 November.

"We need to understand good trends can end so we need to maximise this moment," added Cifuentes.

QPR host Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday looking for a sixth successive home win.

Chelsea academy graduate Harvey Vale has attracted the eye of Sunderland, Queens Park Rangers, West Bromwich Albion and Oxford United as well as overseas interest. (Sky Sports, external)

The Black Cats and QPR are also interested in Celtic winger Luis Palma, who is also drawing the eye of Stoke City and Swansea City. (Football Insider, external)

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Wednesday's gossip here.