New Jake Clarke-Salter update emerges - It's bad news for QPR once again | OneFootball

Clarke-Salter hasn't been seen it the first-team for nine months - the wait for his return looks set to go on...

Queens Park Rangers fans have not seen Jake Clarke-Salter in action since January due to injury - and they may now have to wait a while longer to see the ex-Chelsea man.

The Hoops centre-back is into his fourth season at Loftus Road, having seen his time at Stamford Bridge come to an end, but it's very much been an up and down time of things with the west London outfit.

Injuries have been a constant source of misery for Clarke-Salter over the years - his first season at QPR saw him appear just 16 times in the Championship, but things did improve in 2023-24, as he played in 33 league matches and was named the club's Players' Player of the Year.

A new long-term contract was signed in September 2024 due to his performances, with Wolves reportedly interested in taking him to the Premier League that very summer - a £10 million price-tag though seemingly put suitors off, and the left-footer remained at QPR, but would soon suffer a significant setback.

After calf problems restricted him to just 11 Championship outings up until gameweek 27 of the 2024-25 campaign, Clarke-Salter suffered a hip injury, which would see him undergo surgery and sideline him for the following months, and he would not return before the end of the season.

Jake Clarke-Salter appears to suffer new QPR setback

Clarke-Salter briefly returned to action for QPR's development squad earlier this month against Swansea City after nearly nine months off the pitch, yet was withdrawn after just 11 minutes after experiencing "discomfort" in his hip - he has shrugged that off though and featured once more on Monday when he took on Bournemouth at development level, and was joined by the similarly recovering Kwame Poku and Ilias Chair.

It took just half an hour though for the 28-year-old to be withdrawn, but it appears that this setback is not a muscular or hip issue.

QPR's social media accounts have claimed that Clarke-Salter was stamped on in an off the ball incident with a Bournemouth player, which led to him coming off, and whilst the extent of the injury is not yet known, it may be a comfort that it's not a reoccurrence of the troubles he's suffered throughout 2025.

QPR could do with Jake Clarke-Salter back in the first-team - Julien Stephan will hope for little damage

Even though QPR have had a decent start to the Championship season, sitting 11th after 10 matches played, they would be a lot more stable at the back with a fit and motivated Clarke-Salter to play alongside Amadou Mbengue or Liam Morrison.

The experienced Steve Cook has started the last three R's matches, but Julien Stephan could do with a bit of left-footed balance in his back-line, which is what Clarke-Salter provides, as well as pace and athleticism.

What Clarke-Salter has left of that though - given he's spent so long out with his hip issue - remains to be seen of course, but there would have been hope that in the next few weeks, he would have been ready to get back into the Frenchman's plans.

The aforementioned stamp on the leg by a Bournemouth player was painful enough to see the centre-half withdrawn from action, and whilst the diagnosis is unknown as of yet, it could be another unneeded setback in Clarke-Salter's frustrating 2025.