Preview: Queens Park Rangers vs. Birmingham City - prediction, team news, lineups

The R's suffered their heaviest defeat of the season at Blackpool and could still be dragged into a relegation battle, whereas Blues will be looking to respond following their loss at Watford.

Match preview

Following a 1-0 victory over Watford at Loftus Road last weekend, newly-appointed manager Gareth Ainsworth felt his side had turned a corner and were moving away from their horrid form in the Championship.

That theory was blown out of the water at Bloomfield Road in the week, with the R's losing 6-1 to Mick McCarthy's relegation-threatened Blackpool side - a result which taught ex-Wycombe Wanderers boss Ainsworth a lot about his players.

Sitting 19th in the second-tier standings, QPR currently hold a seven-point advantage over the Seasiders in 22nd but could still be drawn into a relegation dogfight in the final nine matches of this campaign.

Dreams of a promotion push under former boss Michael Beale near the start of the season seem light years away now for R's supporters, with their side managing just a single win in their last 14 Championship matches.

The Londoners have conceded three or more goals in five of their last six league games, with QPR now boasting the join-worst defensive record in the league alongside Shaun Maloney's Wigan Athletic.

Birmingham failed to record successive wins in the Championship after falling to a convincing 3-0 defeat at Vicarage Road against Chris Wilder's playoff-chasing Watford on Tuesday night.

Blues started the game slowly, and their passiveness in the opening 20 minutes lead to them going two goals behind, with Imran Louza and Aston Villa loanee Keinan Davis breaching John Ruddy's net early on in Hertfordshire.

John Eustace's side had a flurry of second-half chances - most notably through substitute Scott Hogan - but were unable to capitalise, with Britt Assombalonga adding a third for the hosts in the closing stages.

A 2-0 success over Rotherham United last weekend has given the Second City club a sizeable buffer over the relegation zone - seven points to Blackpool - however Blues still cannot afford to endure another losing run if they are to enjoy a stress-free end to the campaign.

Blues have failed to win during their three recent visits to Loftus Road, although their most-recent success at QPR was a memorable one - Che Adams netted a hat-trick for Garry Monk's Birmingham in a stunning 4-3 win back in February 2019.

Queens Park Rangers Championship form:

L

L

L

L

W

L

Birmingham City Championship form:

L

L

L

D

W

L

Team News

QPR have suffered in recent times with the absences of attackers Chris Willock and Ilias Chair - both players are expected to miss Saturday's clash with Birmingham due to hamstring injuries.

The R's also have limited options in defensive areas, with Leon Balogun (knee), Kenneth Paal (leg) and Ethan Laird (hamstring) all sidelined until after the international break.

Ainsworth has remained tight-lipped when asked about which of his injured players could be available on Saturday, but supporters should expect plenty of changes regardless from the XI who were humiliated at Bloomfield Road last time out.

Birmingham will welcome back Juninho Bacuna to the matchday squad after the midfielder served his two-match suspension for collecting 10 yellow cards, and the Curacao international will rival the likes of Tahith Chong and Hannibal Mejbri for a starting berth.

Troy Deeney (hamstring) and Dion Sanderson (back) remain out of action, with the latter expected to be out for the remainder of the campaign - a real blow for Blues.

Queens Park Rangers possible starting lineup:

Dieng; Dickie, Dunne, Field; Johansen, Drewe, Iroegbunam, Lowe, Kakay; Adomah, Dykes

Birmingham City possible starting lineup:

Ruddy; Long, Dean, Trusty; Colin, Bielik, Bacuna, Chong, Graham; Khadra, Jutkiewicz

We say: Queens Park Rangers 1-1 Birmingham City

QPR fans will be demanding a massive response following Tuesday's disastrous showing against Blackpool, knowing that one more win will probably be enough to secure their Championship safety.

Previews by email