MY ACCOUNT
– Burnley were top of the Championship when action paused for World Cup
– QPR lost head coach Michael Beale to Glasgow Rangers last month and have Paul Hall in interim charge
– Recommended bet: Burnley to win
Burnley will be aiming to underline their promotion credentials on Sunday when they go to QPR, who saw manager Michael Beale depart to Scottish giants Rangers last month.
The London outfit have placed Paul Hall in interim charge, who is tasked with arresting an alarming slump in form with QPR falling to sixth in the table before the World Cup break thanks to a run of four defeats in five games.
The Clarets can stay top of the Championship with a victory as Vincent Kompany aims to guide Burnley straight back up to the top flight at the first time of asking this season.
Team news
Ilias Chair will be absent from the QPR squad as he remains on duty for Morocco at the World Cup, but goalkeeper Seny Dieng is back and available following Senegal’s early exit from Qatar.
With this being interim boss Hall’s first game in charge, he could ring the changes with winger Albert Adomah among those pushing for a start.
Burnley have Anass Zaroury also away on international duty with Morocco so Nathan Tella is tipped to start on the left.
Ashley Westwood could be back in the squad as he has recovered from an ankle injury and Scott Twine has used the break to get over a hip problem and could also return.
The stats
Burnley were top of the Championship when the club action stopped for the World Cup, despite failing to win 10 of their 21 games, drawing eight times and losing twice alongside 11 victories.
Jay Rodriguez is the joint-top-scorer in the second tier with nine league goals so far but he was absent from their final match before the World Cup — the 3-0 East Lancashire derby win over Blackburn in which Ashley Barnes scored twice.
QPR have won nine of their 21 league games but they have lost four of their last five, picking up a draw at Norwich to go alongside defeats against Coventry, Huddersfield, West Brom and Birmingham.
Prediction
Rangers beat Scottish side Livingston 2-1 in a behind-closed-doors friendly at Loftus Road on November 29 with the majority of the available first-team squad featuring in a game that saw Sinclair Armstrong and Macauley Bonne get on the scoresheet.
However, with Hall in interim charge following Beale’s departure north of the border there remains plenty of uncertainty at Loftus Road and Burnley can take advantage and pick up a vital away win to aid their promotion push.
Kompany’s men signed off before the international break with a fine 3-0 derby victory over Blackburn and they can pick up where they left off with another victory, which is available at 13/10 with LiveScore Bet, against a Rangers side that has managed just one goal in their dismal winless last five games.
