The 7 players set to miss QPR v Bolton Wanderers | OneFootball

These seven players will be sidelined for Bolton's trip to QPR

Two sides who got off to a winning start in the Championship this season face off at Loftus Road on Saturday, as QPR take on Bolton Wanderers.

The Hoops go into matchday two at the summit of the second tier after a blitz towards the end of the first half secured a 3-1 win away from home against Portsmouth.

That win saw them overtake Bolton atop the table, after they momentarily went first after picking up the first three points of the new season at a sold-out Toughsheet Stadium against Preston North End in the lunchtime kick-offs.

If you'd have offered either side six points from six to begin the new campaign, they'd have snapped your hand off, so both will be keen to continue where they left off last Saturday this weekend.

These seven players won't be featuring, however.

Dennis Cirkin

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QPR's move for free agent Dennis Cirkin raised eyebrows in all the right ways, as the 24-year-old played a key role in Sunderland's success in the 2024/25 campaign, making 39 appearances in the league and the play-offs.

But he only made eight top-flight appearances last season and came to Loftus Road last week having not been with a club throughout pre-season.

R's boss Julien Stephan has stated that he's progressing each day, but Saturday could come too soon for his debut.

Boy Kemper

Stephan kept his cards close to his chest when discussing fellow new left-back arrival Boy Kemper, who was withdrawn 20 minutes into his league debut at Fratton Park on Saturday.

The French boss said that they'll wait until the end of the week to assess his situation and see whether he'll be fit for a return. He's more of a doubt at this stage, but, likely, they won't risk the Dutchman this weekend.

Tariq Lamptey

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Julien Stephan was just as ambiguous when discussing Tariq Lamptey's long-awaited debut for QPR, following his arrival after his contract with Fiorentina was terminated.

He only played 25 minutes for the Serie A side last season, as he ruptured his ACL on his full debut back in September against Como.

The QPR head coach stated he'll be available before the September international break, but it's unclear as to exactly when he'll be making his debut.

Karamoko Dembele

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There's no ambiguity about the status of Karamoko Dembele, who has been out since Early February with an ACL injury.

The 23-year-old will likely miss a few more months to begin the season.

Justin Obikwu

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Justin Obikwu is back training at QPR, and all eyes will be on when he can finally make his debut for the club, after signing back in January from Coventry City.

With the attacking quality at Julien Stephan's disposal, and the length of his injury, though, the 22-year-old may be deemed not ready yet to make his full debut for the Hoops.

Ruben Rodrigues

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The only main injury concern for Bolton currently is star attacking midfielder Ruben Rodrigues, who picked up a knee injury in the EFL Cup defeat against Sheffield Wednesday a fortnight ago.

It's expected he'll be on the sidelines for another five weeks, but in the meantime, he was given a new one-year extension on his deal, keeping the 30-year-old at the Toughsheet Stadium until the summer of 2028.

Xavi Simons

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And Xavi Simons will miss out on Bolton's trip to QPR as he serves the second of a three-match ban he incurred after an altercation with Sheffield Wednesday's Harry Gray resulted in the 23-year-old being shown a red card in that EFL Cup defeat.

Simons only made one league appearance from March until the end of last season, but played a vital role in the successful play-off campaign for Steven Schumacher's side, scoring the goal that sealed their place in the final against Bradford City in the second leg.