“We will know more” - QPR: Marti Cifuentes reveals nervous Ilias Chair wait after Leeds United blow | OneFootball

QPR face a nervous wait to find out the seriousness of Ilias Chair injury.

Queens Park Rangers face a nervous wait over the extent of Ilias Chair's injury after it was confirmed he would miss the Leeds United game following a knock he picked up against Middlesbrough.

After coming off at half-time in the 4-1 defeat to Boro, Marti Cifuentes confirmed in his pre-match press conference that the left-winger was feeling a great deal of pain in his knee.

This will come as terrible news to Hoops fans, who will know the importance of Chair to the success of Cifuentes' side.

Having only returned to action last month following a back injury, this will feel like a real hammer blow to the Moroccan. The hope is that the tests will return positive results and that the injury will prove to be a short-term setback rather than a long-term problem.

Ilias Chair injury issue

While we know that Chair will miss the trip to Elland Road, the sooner he is back the better with crucial fixtures against Stoke City and Cardiff on the agenda.

Unfortunately though, speaking earlier today, Cifuentes didn't sound too convinced that he would return anytime soon: “He was not very good after the (Middlesbrough) game, he had a lot of pain in the knee.

“He went for some tests and we will know more in the evening but it looks like there is some knee affection there.”

Whilst it could just be a bad knock, the knees can cause serious problems and, in all likelihood, it seems unfeasible that he will be ready in the coming weeks.

Despite the bad news regarding their star player, Cifuentes did have some positive updates on returning players: “We need to make some last tests with Ashby (Harrison).

“We know Paal, Fox and Frey are in the last part of their recovery, we will see if they manage to be available for this game or after the international break.”

This will come as a relief for the Spanish head coach, who will be hopeful his returning stars can turn the tide on what has been a dreadful start to the season.

Ilias Chair will be a big miss for QPR

Whether it's just a few games or a more extended period on the sidelines, Chair's absence will be a major blow for QPR.

Many at the club would argue that Chair is the one irreplaceable player, with his form over the past few seasons deciphering just how crucial he is to the side. Consistently performing under a range of different managers, the creative attacker has delivered year after year, registering at least 12 goal contributions in each campaign since his breakout season in 2019-20.

Unfortunately, this season he has yet to deliver an assist or goal, but given more time, you feel his impact will come to the fore.

Just at the end of last season, he was showcasing his true quality with standout performances against Leeds and Coventry City, where he contributed two goals and two assists in as many games.

The hope will be that this is just a minor setback then, and they can have a fully fit Chair back at Loftus Road as soon as possible.