Aiming to get back to winning ways and maintain their standing in the top two of the Championship table, Sheffield United will travel to Loftus Road to take on Queens Park Rangers on Saturday.
The visitors saw their lead over the chasing pack in the race for automatic promotion cut to just two points following a defeat on Monday, while their hosts fell to 14th spot following their own loss last weekend.
Match preview
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Queens Park Rangers head into the weekend aiming to give their slim playoff hopes a boost, having lost ground in the last month after an impressive climb.
Following a disappointing start to their first full campaign under the management of Marti Cifuentes, they moved into the top-six picture as one of the Championship's form teams between late November and mid-January, culminating in four straight victories over Watford, Luton Town, Plymouth Argyle and Hull City in the new year.
That hot streak left the Rs on 38 points from 28 league outings, but they have since added just six more points to that tally in six further attempts, courtesy of home victories over Blackburn Rovers and Derby County either side of an away defeat to Coventry City.
Then aiming to make it back-to-back three-point hauls again to move back towards the top six, Cifuentes's men most recently visited Portsmouth at the weekend, only to suffer a third consecutive away loss, with Jimmy Dunne's 74th-minute goal not enough to spark a turnaround after Josh Murphy and Matt Ritchie had the hosts 2-0 up.
Having now dropped to 14th spot and seven points behind fifth and sixth spots, Queens Park Rangers know that any chance of remaining in the playoff fight in the final run-in will depend on them putting another winning streak together, beginning on Saturday.
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That is no easy task, though, as their visitors travel to the capital aiming to strengthen their position in the automatic promotion spots.
Sheffield United will bid to get back to winning ways at Loftus Road, having seen their lead over the chasing pack cut last time out after a fine run early in the new year, as the Blades won seven out of eight league outings between early January and mid-February.
That run culminated in four straight wins over Derby County, Portsmouth, Middlesbrough and Luton Town, leaving Chris Wilder's men on 70 points from 33 games, five points clear of third-placed Burnley having scored 47 goals and only conceded 23 in those matches.
A tough test at home to league leaders Leeds United then followed on Monday, and the Blades were unable to go top of the table in that Yorkshire derby, despite leading through an Illan Meslier own goal, as Junior Firpo headed in a leveller in the 72nd minute, Ao Tanaka put the hosts ahead one minute from time and Joel Piroe added a third in the dying embers.
With Burnley having moved within touching distance of second spot as a result of that setback, Sheffield United will be desperate to put Monday's disappointment behind them and pick up a 23rd three-point haul of the campaign on Saturday, with no side in the division matching their tally of 34 points earned from 17 away games thus far.
Team News
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Queens Park Rangers should remain without defender Jake Clarke-Salter, midfielders Lucas Andersen and Harvey Vale and attackers Rayan Kolli and Zan Celar due to ongoing injuries on Saturday.
Michael Frey, who leads the squad with seven goals in 24 appearances this term, will continue to lead the line in their 4-2-3-1 setup, likely with support from an unchanged trio of Paul Smyth, Ilias Chair and Koki Saito.
Elsewhere, Jonathan Varane and Sam Field should continue their midfield partnership, despite competition from Jack Colback and Kieran Morgan, while Jimmy Dunne will again line up on the right-hand side of a back four, accommodating Ronnie Edwards, who has impressed since his January loan arrival, in the centre alongside Steve Cook.
Chris Wilder may opt to make small alterations to his Sheffield United starting XI from Monday's defeat to Leeds United, with defender Femi Seriki and midfielder Oliver Arblaster remaining confined to the treatment room.
Right-back Harry Clarke was also forced off at half time in that contest and could be replaced by Chelsea loanee Alfie Gilchrist if deemed unfit to start, while Sydie Peck will hope to continue in midfield alongside key man Vinicius Souza despite competition from Hamza Choudhury and Tom Davies.
The Blades' attacking ranks have been bolstered by the returns of Tom Cannon, Kieffer Moore and top-scorer Gustavo Hamer from injuries, and they will all compete to return from the outset on Saturday after Jesurun Rak-Sakyi, Callum O'Hare and Ben Brereton Diaz supported Tyrese Campbell on Monday.
Queens Park Rangers possible starting lineup:
Nardi; Dunne, Cook, Edwards, Paal; Field, Varane; Smyth, Chair, Saito; Frey
Sheffield United possible starting lineup:
Cooper; Gilchrist, Ahmedhodzic, Robinson, Burrows; Souza, Peck; Brereton Diaz, O'Hare, Hamer; Campbell
We say: Queens Park Rangers 0-1 Sheffield United
Needing to bounce back from a painful defeat to maintain second spot, we see Sheffield United having the quality to leave Loftus Road with all three points on Saturday.
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Sam Varley
