Julien Stephan confirms triple QPR boost ahead of Portsmouth | OneFootball

QPR boss Julien Stephan has provided an injury update on three players ahead of their trip to Portsmouth in the Championship on Saturday.

QPR boss Julien Stephan has confirmed that Jonathan Varane, Paul Smyth and Rumarn Burrell will all be fit for Saturday’s game against Portsmouth despite suffering knocks against Millwall last time out.

The R’s started their season with an EFL Cup tie against the Lions at Loftus Road, and after a 1-1 draw in 90 minutes, the tie was settled on penalties, with the hosts incredibly seeing their four penalties saved by Lukas Jensen, as Millwall won 2-0 in the shootout.

Whilst that was a disappointment for QPR, there were some positives for Stephan to take, and, for many, the priority is the Championship.

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QPR injury latest ahead of Portsmouth game

The Londoners make the trip to Fratton Park on the opening day of the season this weekend, and they will see it as a good chance to lay down an early marker.

After an impressive pre-season that saw Stephan’s side score plenty of goals, fans will be intrigued to see how the side play against a Pompey outfit that are always difficult opponents on their own patch.

And, after speaking to the R’s chief, reporter Jon Harland confirmed that there was some good news on the injury front.

It was explained that the ‘shock’ was the trio picking up minor issues against Millwall, with Smyth and Burrell both replaced in the second half, whilst Varane came on as a substitute and finished the game.

QPR will fancy their chances at Portsmouth in Championship opener

This is good news for QPR, as the three players mentioned are certain to play at least a part in the game against Portsmouth, so Stephan has the vast majority of his squad to pick from for the fixture.

There is a lot of talent in the R’s squad, and, like many clubs in the Championship, they will surely hope to be the beneficiaries of the new play-off format, even if there are clubs with more resources in the division.

Stephan and the recruitment team have built a young, hungry squad, and after a decent first season in English football, the boss will feel he has learned a lot and knows where the team can improve.

A game at Fratton Park will test the team in many different ways, but it’s certainly one that is winnable for the R’s.

QPR will hope to improve their squad ahead of the transfer deadline

However, even though QPR have some good players, the reality is that if the likes of Varane, Burrell and Smyth were absent, the squad would be looking light.

We know that the Championship is a demanding league, and Stephan will feel they still need some more bodies through the door if they are to deal with the schedule.

The club have already addressed several key areas, notably in goal, and Boy Kemper and Glen Kamara look like two shrewd signings as well.

So, it’s not like the R’s are in a terrible position, and the recruitment team deserve credit for the work they’ve done, but a few more additions will ensure they are equipped for the challenges ahead.