Switch article view:Match preview QPR desperate to stay out of relegation fight at Blackburn
By Julian Shea.
Kick off Saturday 11 February 2012 at 15:00, Ewood Park.
In the words of Oscar Wilde, there is one thing worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about. And Blackburn manager Steve Keane certainly cannot complain that people have not been talking about his team this season.
Saturday's 7-1 mauling by Arsenal was a new low in Rovers's horrendous season, but somehow other results - most notably QPR's home loss to Wolves - contrived to keep Blackburn's survival hopes in decent shape, so Rovers be hoping to drag the Hoops further into the relegation dogfight when former Blackburn manager Mark Hughes brings his new team to Ewood Park on Saturday.
Rovers' top scorer Yakubu is back in contention after a three-match ban, and Jason Lowe should be fit to start despite worries over an ankle injury.
Captain Chris Samba misses out again, but after rumours that he was refusing to play, Kean confirmed the defender has been suffering from a bad back and a hamstring complaint, and could be back playing for the reserves next week.
Gael Givet misses out, however, following his red card at the Emirates.
As for Rangers, if new manager Hughes did not realise he was facing a relegation battle when he took over at Loftus Road, then he certainly knows it now.
Last week's 2-1 home defeat by struggling Wolves, after the Hoops had gone ahead, was doubly costly as it also saw them lose the services of Djibril Cisse, suspended for the next three matches following his red card.
Fellow strikers Heidar Helguson (groin) and DJ Campbell (hamstring) are also ruled out, so the return of former Blackburn player Jay Bothroyd from a hamstring injury could not have been better timed.
Akos Buszaky returns after missing the last two league games with an Achilles injury, and in defence Danny Gabbidon is likely to return after a hamstring strain, but Luke Young misses out with a similar problem. Listen to our football experts Russ Williams, Jim Proudfoot and Ian Wright for a look ahead to the weekend's games in Friday's edition of Ian Wright's podcast.
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