Preview:Queens Park Rangers vs Hull City – prediction, team news, lineups

On their return from the final international break of the year, Queens Park Rangers and Hull City will square off at MATRADE Loftus Road on Saturday.

The visitors moved into fifth spot in the Championship table with a victory before the break, while their hosts sit 16th in a four-match winless run.

Match preview

Queens Park Rangers return to action on Saturday in search of a return to winning ways to stop a slide down the Championship table.

They enjoyed a pleasing start to life under Julien Stephan, following his summer appointment, moving onto 18 points from 11 league outings with a victory in late October – their fifth three-point haul of the campaign.

The Rs have failed to build on that since, though, and headed into the October break in a slump, firstly suffering three straight defeats at the hands of Derby County, Ipswich and Southampton, conceding seven goals along the way.

A trip to strugglers Sheffield United then followed last time out, and they were, at least, able to arrest the losing run in a goalless stalemate at Bramall Lane, taking their tally to 11 points earned on the road having only managed eight in seven outings at Loftus Road.

With only five sides in the division picking up fewer than that return on home turf, Queens Park Rangers will now return from the break with the hopes of a fresh start and a victory to kickstart a climb back up to the top half having dropped to 16th spot in a tight mid-table pack.

Their visitors, meanwhile, head to London in higher spirits after the break, having strengthened their standing at the top end of the division last time out.

Hull City also made a managerial change over the summer, turning to Sergej Jakirovic, and he has overseen an impressive start at the MKM Stadium, with his side sat fifth in England’s second tier on 25 points from their first 15 outings.

The Tigers headed into the November break as one of the Championship’s form sides, winning five of their last seven games and only losing once in a trip to Derby County early in the month, ending a six-match unbeaten streak in which they amassed 14 points.

Jakirovic’s men would quickly bounce back last time out, hosting Portsmouth and eventually winning a dramatic encounter 3-2, having gone 2-1 up through Enis Destan and Kyle Joseph and been pegged back before Joe Gelhardt restored the lead 11 minutes from time.

Now returning to action rested and in fifth spot, two points ahead of seventh-placed Ipswich Town and just four outside of the top two, Hull City will aim to pick up where they left off on Saturday and make it back-to-back victories again to strengthen their top-six spot.

Queens Park Rangers Championship form:

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Hull City Championship form:

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Team News

Queens Park Rangers should field a similar starting XI from the one which travelled to Sheffield United last time out, with Ben Hamer bound to keep his place between the sticks having got the nod over Paul Nardi for that game in the absence of first-choice stopper Joe Walsh.

After the clean sheet at Bramall Lane, Jimmy Dunne, Steve Cook, Amadou Mbengue and Sam Field may continue in a back four, despite the return of left-back Rhys Norrington-Davies, while Nicolas Madsen and Jonathan Varane are mainstays in the engine room.

Richard Kone and Rumarn Burrell will hope to continue in attack, having netted four and five league goals respectively since their summer arrivals, while Ilias Chair remains a key man in the front line following his return from an injury.

Hull City remain hit by injuries, with Eliot Matazo, John Lundstram, Kasey Palmer, Liam Millar and key attacker Oli McBurnie set to continue spells in the treatment room.

They may be unchanged from the win over Portsmouth earlier in November, with Kyle Joseph, Enis Destan and Joe Gelhardt bound to continue in attack having all scored in that game, with the latter taking his tally to seven league goals for the season and five in the last six outings.

Elsewhere, Amir Hadziahmetovic and Regan Slater will again line up in front of a back four, while John Egan and Charlie Hughes will continue their partnership in the middle of the defence.

Queens Park Rangers possible starting lineup:

Hamer; Dunne, Cook, Mbengue, Field; Varane, Madsen; Vale, Burrell, Chair; Kone

Hull City possible starting lineup:

Pandur; Coyle, Egan, Hughes, Giles; Slater, Hadziahmetovic; Gelhardt, Crooks, Joseph; Destan

We say: Queens Park Rangers 1-2 Hull City

Queens Park Rangers will hope for a reset after the break, but they are yet to make home advantage count this season and could fall short against a Hull City side full of confidence going forward.

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