QPR v Aston Villa preview
Friday 17 November 2017 11:18, UK
QPR will check on the condition of midfielder Massimo Luongo ahead of the visit of Aston Villa.
Luongo has been on international duty with Australia as they secured qualification for the World Cup and will be a late arrival back in west London. Striker Conor Washington is also back following international duty with Northern Ireland. Nedum Onuoha (hamstring), James Perch and Grant Hall (both knee) are still out injured for Rangers.
Injury-hit Aston Villa are without John Terry, Scott Hogan and Jonathan Kodjia for the trip to Loftus Road. Captain Terry is nursing a broken foot he suffered earlier this month while Hogan has had a stomach operation, with boss Steve Bruce saying he will be sidelined for the foreseeable future.
Fellow striker Kodjia suffered an ankle injury while on international duty with the Ivory Coast, with Villa conceding they fear the worst over the problem. Mile Jedinak is back in the country after scoring a hat-trick to help Australia qualify for the World Cup and his condition will be assessed but Henri Lansbury (knee) is closing in on fitness.
Opta stats
QPR, who lost 1-0 to Villa at Loftus Road last season, haven't lost back to back home league games against the Villans in their league history.
Aston Villa have only lost once in their last nine league matches against the Hoops (W4 D4) and beat them twice last season, with both games finishing 1-0.
Ian Holloway has lost four of five previous meetings with Aston Villa during his managerial career, drawing the other.
Steve Bruce, meanwhile, has won eight of his last nine league encounters against the Hoops (D1); Bruce has won five of six league visits to Loftus Road against QPR, losing the other in August 1999 against a QPR side managed by Gerry Francis.
Luke Freeman has created more goalscoring chances than any other player in the Championship this season (38).
A win for Aston Villa in this match will equal their tally of away wins for the whole of the last league season (4) - the Villans have won three of the last five on the road (D1 L1).
Prutton's prediction
Aston Villa beware. QPR at Loftus Road is turning into one of the toughest trips in the Sky Bet Championship, and Ian Holloway and his men will fancy another scalp on Saturday.
The Hoops turned over Sheffield United and Wolves at home in recent weeks, and they'd be a lot higher up the table if they could just take that form on the road. I think this will be another big three points for QPR.
Prutton predicts: 1-0 (15/2 with Sky Bet)
