QPR handed key injury boost - Watford will be relieved | OneFootball

The R's have been told when they'll be getting one of their star players back on the pitch.

QPR captain Jimmy Dunne has been told he can return to full training after picking up a hip injury in pre-season, but he won't be ready for Saturday's clash with Watford.

The R's are going in search of their first win in all competitions of the 2025/26 season this weekend.

Julien Stephan's side were held to a 1-1 draw with Preston North End on the opening day of the Championship campaign, before falling 3-2 to Plymouth Argyle in the League Cup in midweek.

Saturday will see the Hoops make the relatively short journey to Vicarage Road to take on the Hornets, who are also yet to record a competitive victory under their new boss, Paulo Pezzolano.

QPR handed Jimmy Dunne injury boost

If Stephan is to enjoy a strong debut campaign in the Loftus Road dugout, then star defender Jimmy Dunne will surely have been a key reason for it.

The 27-year-old took many by surprise when penning a new contract with QPR this summer, despite significant transfer interest in his services, with Football League World exclusively revealing back in January that Sheffield United were keen on signing him.

However, he's had a disrupted pre-season off the back of this new deal, having picked up a hip injury in QPR's 1-0 defeat to Brentford on 2 August, which has seen him miss the club's opening two competitive games of the 25/26 season.

But, in a hugely positive update by West London Sport on Friday, it has been revealed that the Ireland international has now been given the green light to return to full training, alleviating fears that he was going to miss a significant amount of time.

However, he isn't going to be fit for tomorrow's trip to Watford, with the versatile defender instead earmarked to make his first matchday squad of the season when QPR travel to Coventry City next Saturday.

Dunne's return is going to be vital for QPR

Having joined QPR from Burnley in the summer of 2021, Dunne has enjoyed four highly impressive seasons at Loftus Road.

However, 24/25 may well have been his best yet, starting all but one of the R's 46 Championship games, whilst adding five goals and two assists to his league tally, as well as providing a further assist in the League Cup.

Having transitioned from central defence into a full-time right-back now, Dunne has made that position his own, and undoubtedly established himself as one of the second tier's best in that department last term.

However, without him available, Stephan only has youngsters Kieran Morgan and Kealey Adamson to turn to, with the former being just 19 and a midfielder by trade, whilst the latter has only just arrived from Australian football this summer and is only 22.

Therefore, getting Dunne's experience and quality back in the side will hand Stephan a major boost to his defensive solidity, and will give QPR fans the opportunity to watch him and new addition Kwame Poku potentially form one of the Championship's most fearsome right flanks.