QPR handed big triple boost for Hull City - Julien Stephan will love this | OneFootball

The Hoops' injury issues could be set to be somewhat relieved ahead of a trip to the MKM Stadium this weekend

Queens Park Rangers have been brutalised with a long injury list in recent weeks - but head coach Julien Stephan's issues are set to be someone alleviated.

It has been a stop-start first season in English football management for Stephan, who arrived at Loftus Road after most recently managing Stade Rennais, with that stint ending in November 2024.

Stephan was given funds to spend in the summer, with permanent deals for the likes of Koki Saito, Richard Kone, Kader Dembele and Rumarn Burrell, and that money was stretched even further with Ronnie Edwards returning to the club in the mid-season window.

It looks like the R's are in no danger of being relegated now, and they're still in the mix with a number of other clubs for the Championship's play-offs, but just two wins from their last 10 league matches has seen the west London outfit lose momentum.

QPR manager Julien Stephen handed good news over three injury concerns

The dip in form for QPR has coincided with a long injury list though - for the 3-1 defeat by Blackburn Rovers on Saturday, Kader Dembele, Kwame Poku, Rumarn Burrell, Ilias Chair, Jonathan Varane, Justin Obikwu and Ziyad Larkeche were all sidelined.

There are a number of important first-teamers in that mix, and Stephan could do with a few more faces back for their trip this coming weekend to high-flying Hull City.

And as it happens, a couple of absent players will be available for Stephan to select from, with West London Sport reporting both Chair and Varane are set to be in the squad for the clash with the Tigers.

Diminutive attacking midfielder Chair has been plagued with issues in 2025-26, missing eight matches between August and October before returning for nine appearances - the Moroccan was then sidelined once more, with the nature of his fitness problems not disclosed.

Varane meanwhile suffered a sprained knee in the 3-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday in early January, missing six Championship games in the process, but he is also returning to bolster Stephan's options.

Meanwhile, Nicolas Madsen is also expected to be available after limping off in the second half of the Rovers defeat with an ankle knock - the Dane has appeared in all 32 Championship games for the R's this season, and will look to continue that at Hull.

QPR's fortunes may turn with the return of key players

Whilst the Hoops' injury misfortunes are by no means over, getting the likes of Chair and Varane back is a start.

The pair when they are fit and firing are straight into Julien Stephan's best starting 11, and it will be a big boost for everyone connected to the club on a matchday, and they can definitely help to improve the club's recent form of two wins in 10 league outings.

Some key players are still remaining absent though - top scorer Rumarn Burrell still has an injured hamstring, Kader Dembele is out for a while with a knee injury and summer signing Kwame Poku's hamstring troubles are starting to become an unwanted habit.

It is the absence of those kinds of players that might see the R's fall short in the end of seriously challenging for the play-offs, but if Stephan can start to get his side to put a few more wins together in a row, QPR could be the surprise package come the end of the season.