Stoke vs QPR preview
Thursday 2 April 2020 11:12, UK
Skipper Ryan Shawcross is an injury absentee for Stoke ahead of their opening game of the season against QPR.
The central defender suffered a broken fibula during a pre-season friendly against Leicester last week and faces around four months out after undergoing surgery.
Summer signing Liam Lindsay is the obvious replacement for Shawcross but he is suspended following a red card in his last match for Barnsley at the end of the last campaign. Therefore, Bruno Martins Indi will probably partner Danny Batth at the heart of the defence.
While Lindsay is unavailable, fellow new arrivals Adam Davies, Jordan Cousins, Lee Gregory, Nick Powell, Stephen Ward and Tommy Smith are in contention to make their debuts.
QPR are likely to begin their Championship campaign without left-back Lee Wallace. The summer signing, who previously played under new Hoops boss Mark Warburton at Rangers, has missed much of pre-season with a hip problem.
However, Liam Kelly, Yoann Barbet, Luke Amos, Matt Smith, Dominic Ball, Conor Masterson, Marc Pugh and Todd Kane should all be available to feature, having all joined the club over the summer. The trip to Stoke will be Warburton's first game in charge after he was appointed as Steve McClaren's successor in May.
Opta stats
Stoke are unbeaten in their last six league matches against QPR (W3 D3 L0) since a 0-1 defeat in May 2012 in the Premier League.
QPR have won just one of their last six away league matches against Stoke (W1 D1 L4), winning 3-2 in November 2011.
Stoke and QPR last met on the opening day of a league season in 2001-02 in the third-tier, with QPR winning 1-0; the Potters won promotion via the play-offs that season.
QPR are winless away from home on the opening day in their last 13 attempts (W0 D6 L7) since a 3-0 win at West Ham in August 1987.
Stoke won just three of their 21 games in all competitions under Nathan Jones last season (W3 D11 L7), scoring just 17 goals.
The last QPR manager to win his first league match in charge of the club was Neil Warnock in March 2010.
Prutton's prediction
David Prutton predicts: 2-1 (15/2 with Sky Bet)
