Queens Park Rangers will be without first-team duo Seny Dieng and Lyndon Dykes when they face Nottingham Forest tonight.
Forest take on QPR at the City Ground (7.45pm kick-off) as they bid to maintain their Championship play-off push. The Reds will be looking to build on their 4-0 triumph over Reading last time out.
Steve Cooper's men are currently ninth, four points off a top-six spot. Rangers are fifth but Forest do have a game in hand on them. Mark Warburton's side won 2-1 at Luton Town on Saturday, following successive defeats.
Dieng has a muscle complaint and is out for around four weeks, while Dykes is still sidelined with a hamstring injury that is proving frustrating. Former Forest boss Warburton told the club’s official website: “He (Dykes) has had a few niggles, I hoped he would have been available earlier but he’s had a small hamstring issue and we will hopefully look to get him back for Fulham and for the vitally important run in which is to come in the next few weeks.”
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There is some good news for Rangers, though, as on-loan Wolves defender Dion Sanderson is available once again after serving a three-match ban. Sanderson was sent off during a 2-1 win over Blackpool last month.
Meanwhile, Forest have defenders Steve Cook and Max Lowe both been ruled out for up to six weeks with injuries picked up against Reading. Cooper said: “It’s a blow for the two lads and a blow for us. But, unfortunately, these things happen.”
Warburton is expecting a tough test against the Reds as he returns to his old stomping ground.
“They have a very good squad,” he said. “If you look at the strength in depth they have, they have several big players and a very talented squad.
“Steve is a very good manager, I am sure the players are responding to some excellent coaching. It’s a fan base that is desperate for success, they have been out of the Premier League for a very long time now.
“There has been good investment in the squad, they are working well, playing well, in a rich vein of form, they have been playing well in the FA Cup with some big scalps against some good sides, so things are looking very rosy. Congratulations to them, of course, but from our point of view, we have to go there and be on the front foot, meet the challenge, enjoy it and make sure that we deliver a good QPR performance.”
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