Burnley ready for play-off winners QPR

Burnley will travel down full of confidence albeit with injury problems defensively. That confidence has come about with our first wins of the season, against Hull and Stoke, followed up with two more vital points in home draws against Villa and Newcastle.

It even lifted us out of the bottom three for 24 hours this week and there's been a whole new feel to things. And some of the patronising pundits have been stopped right in their steps. Wasn't it Garth Crooks who said recently we were all but down?

There are no guarantees, we are only an off colour performance away and there could be another West Brom type defeat, but this team of ours is definitely settling into life in the Premier League and looking far more comfortable and competitive at this level.

The belief is growing says Michael Keane

Even so, we are going to be fifty percent down on our usual back four tomorrow. We've got over the loss of Michael Duff, injured at Stoke, with Michael Keane stepping in, and tomorrow Ben Mee will almost certainly get his first start since the West Ham game when he returns for the injured Stephen Ward.

Keane's played two games now. Having come on for Duff during the Stoke barrage two weeks ago he's lined up alongside Jason Shackell in the last two games and is now set to get his first start away from home.

Ahead of the trip to London he said: "I think the team's belief has started to grow even more with every game and the performances keep improving. We've learned a few lessons from the games early on in the season and got a few good results recently.

"We're now going to QPR and we know it's going to be a tough game, but one that we'll approach as we've approached every other game. We'll obviously analyse what they're like and go to the game with more confidence after three or four good results in a row.

"We know we are capable of beating them on our day and we just have to make sure we do that on the day."

Keane will play alongside Jason Shackell in the centre of defence during Duff's continued absence with a calf strain with Mee returning at left back. Ward has damaged ankle ligaments. No timescale has been put on it but it might be some weeks before he's fit to return.

They  are added to Matt Taylor and Sam Vokes who are both on their way back. There was further good news for Vokes this week when he played 70 minutes in a behind closed doors game against Sheffield United and is likely to get his first full 90 minutes at Middlesbrough next week.

I don't envisage any other changes from Tuesday other than at left back and expect Burnley to line up: Tom Heaton, Kieran Trippier, Michael Keane, Jason Shackell, Ben Mee, George Boyd, Dean Marney, David Jones, Scott Arfield, Danny Ings, Ashley Barnes.

QPR are in the Premier League courtesy of a stoppage time goal from Bobby Zamora in the play-off final against Derby, going up ahead of them despite finishing the season five points behind them.

They spent some brass over the summer. Both Steven Caulker and Leroy Fer, from Cardiff and Norwich, cost them £8 million. They dished out £6 million for each of Jordan Mutch (Cardiff) and Sandro (Tottenham) while adding Rio Ferdinand after he'd left Man United.

Like us they've struggled for wins. They've beaten Sunderland, Villa and Leicester, and picked up points from draws against Stoke and Man City. That's given them 11 points which leaves them one place behind us.

There is a big contrast between their home and away form. All the points have come at Loftus Road and, at this time, they have the eighth best home record in the league. They are though pointless from seven games on their travels.

Their leading goalscorer needs no introduction. Charlie Austin has scored seven of their goals and only Sergio Aguero, Diego Costa and Alexis Sanchez have more goals than him this season.

Sandro, one of their big signings, is out as is Alejandro Faurlin. Also likely to be out is Ade Taarabt. Whether that is through injury or being three stone overweight us unknown.

Harry Redknapp is expected to name the side that lost at Swansea on Tuesday which was: Rob Green, Nedum Onuoha, Richard Dunne, Steven Caulker, Suk-Young Yun, Leroy Fer, Joey Barton, Karl Henry, Eduardo Vargas, Niko Kranjcar, Charlie Austin. Subs: Alex McCarthy, Rio Ferdinand, Matt Phillips, Mauricio Isla, Jordan Mutch, Junior Hoilett, Bobby Zamora.

Last Time We Were There

It was very much a big game when we travelled to QPR last season on the 1st day of February for a lunchtime kick off in front of the Sky cameras.

As is the case now, the two of us were next to each other in the league table. Leicester were nine points clear at the top but QPR held a two point advantage over us and with a game in hand. It made it crucial that we didn't lose.

Two goals for Sam Vokes

After a difficult start, when we twice fell behind, we were t'riffic and really should have gone on to win the game.

QPR twice led with similar goals, headers following left wing corners. Kevin Doyle, making his debut, got the first with Richard Dunne scoring the second. Between those goals, Danny Ings levelled for us with a good finish from a Kieran Trippier cross.

It was 2-1 at half time but the second half was ours. Sam Vokes netted twice. He converted a Michael Kightly cross to equalise and then gave us the lead when he was on hand to score from a ball in from the right after Ings had robbed Benoit Assou-Ekotto.

Twice we were unfortunate not to make it 3-1 and we paid for it when Modibo Maiga, another debutant following Harry's transfer activity through the car window, scored from close range.

I remain convinced we should have had a penalty for a foul on Junior Stanislas right at the end, his shot going just wide, but I said at the end it was a good point, we couldn't afford them to go five points clear.

We went on to win eight and draw two of the next ten games which left QPR trailing and the Clarets on the way to a second place finish.

The teams last season were;

QPR: Rob Green, Nedum Onuoha, Richard Dunne, Clint Hill, Benoit Assou-Ekotto, Matt Phillips (Junior Hoilett 6), Niko Kranjcar, Joey Barton, Armand Traore (Karl Henry 83), Andrew Johnson (Modibo Maiga 68), Kevin Doyle. Subs not used: Brian Murphy, Aaron Hughes, Tom Carroll, Bobby Zamora.

Burnley: Tom Heaton, Kieran Trippier, Michael Duff, Jason Shackell, Ben Mee, Scott Arfield, Dean Marney, David Jones, Michael Kightly (Junior Stanislas 85), Danny Ings, Sam Vokes. Subs not used: Alex Cisak, Kevin Long, Danny Lafferty, David Edgar, Ross Wallace, Ashley Barnes.

Previous Games against QPR

Click HERE to see all previous results against QPR