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Preview: Queens Park Rangers vs. Sheffield Wednesday

Sports Mole previews the Championship opener between Queens Park Rangers and Sheffield Wednesday at Loftus Road.

Queens Park Rangers begin their quest to return to the Premier League when they host Sheffield Wednesday in their Championship season opener on Saturday.

Harry Redknapp's side were relegated last season despite spending big to try to maintain their top-flight status, but several of their star names are unlikely to feature against Wednesday at Loftus Road.

Loic Remy, Julio Cesar and Joey Barton could all sit out as they await moves away from the club, but striker Charlie Austin is expected to make his Hoops debut after arriving in a £4m switch from Burnley.

Fellow summer arrivals Richard Dunne and Danny Simpson are in contention to start in defence, while former Wolverhampton Wanderers captain Karl Henry is in the squad but may have to settle for a place on the bench.

Owls boss David Jones could start versatile left-sided player Jeremy Helan, signed from Manchester City, and former Tottenham Hotspur youngster Jacques Maghoma.

However, the game may have come too early for ex-Hull City centre-back Kamil Zayatte, who completed his move to Hillsborough only on Friday.

The visitors finished 18th in the Championship last season, and retaining the services of top goalscorer Michail Antonio may have been Jones's best piece of summer business.

He is almost certain to start in midfield, but Lewis Buxton and Kieran Lee are unavailable with shin and hip injuries respectively.

Possible lineups:

QPR: Green; Simpson, Dunne, Hill, Traore; Wright-Phillips, Jenas, Mbia, Hoilett; Zamora, Austin

Wednesday: Kirkland; Reda Johnson, Gardner, Taylor, Llera; Antonio, Jermaine Johnson, Maghoma, Prutton, Helan; Madine

Sports Mole says: 2-0


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Sheffield Wednesday's Michail Antonio tries to get past Crystal Palace's Ashley Richards on February 23, 2013
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3Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd1610422191232
4Burnley168621961330
5Middlesbrough1683529191027
6West Bromwich AlbionWest Brom166821811726
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8Millwall166641914524
9Blackburn RoversBlackburn156451917222
10Bristol City165742020022
11Derby CountyDerby165562020020
12Stoke CityStoke165561920-120
13Norwich CityNorwich164752524119
14Swansea CitySwansea165471414019
15Sheffield WednesdaySheff Weds165471826-819
16Luton TownLuton165381826-818
17Coventry CityCoventry164572223-117
18Oxford UnitedOxford Utd164571924-517
19Plymouth ArgylePlymouth164571728-1117
20Preston North EndPreston163761624-816
21Cardiff CityCardiff164481524-916
22Hull City163671621-515
23Portsmouth152671628-1212
24Queens Park RangersQPR161871326-1311


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