Cardiff City v Q.P.R. Match preview
Another big match at CCS today
More...
<p>Neil Warnock will bring his big guns back as Cardiff City look to extend their 100% record in the league this season and stay top of the Championship ahead of the international break.</p>
<p><strong>PA Preview</strong></p>
<p>Cardiff are set to bring back first-team regulars for QPR's visit on Saturday.</p>
<p>The Sky Bet Championship leaders made 10 changes for the Carabao Cup defeat to Burton in midweek.</p>
<p>But Bluebirds boss Neil Warnock will restore his key players to the starting line-up, among them skipper Sean Morrison, Aron Gunnarsson, Kenneth Zohore and five-goal Nathaniel Mendez-Laing.</p>
<div class="article__widge-container" style="text-align: center;"> <img title="C:WindowsTempphpF767.tmp" src="http://pictures.footymad.net/upload/120/910885-1.jpg" alt="C:WindowsTempphpF767.tmp" width="300" height="275" /></div>
<p>Summer signing Callum Paterson has joined training for the first time since knee surgery but is still several weeks away from action.</p>
<p>QPR will be without James Perch, who faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines.</p>
<p>The versatile defender suffered a serious knee injury towards the end of the 2-1 win over Hull last weekend.</p>
<p>Boss Ian Holloway made 10 changes for the 4-1 midweek Carabao Cup defeat by Brentford so the likes of Alex Smithies, Jake Bidwell, Nedum Onuoha and Conor Washington will return.</p>
<p>Joel Lynch, Grant Hall and Jordan Cousins are still out injured.</p>
<p><strong>Match facts</strong><br /><br /></p>
<ul>
<li>Neil Warnock is winless in four matches against his former side QPR (D3 L1), although only one of those games has arrived since he left the London club.</li>
<li>In 2016-17, QPR won both home and away against Cardiff for the first time since the 2006-07 season.</li>
<li>Cardiff have won their last five league games; they have not won six successive league games since December 2000 when they were in the fourth tier.</li>
<li>Ian Holloway has won just three of his 17 Championship games away from home in his second spell at QPR (D3 L11), losing six of the last seven.</li>
<li>Since his debut in February, Luke Freeman has provided more Championship assists (six) than any other QPR player.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Neil Warnock:</strong></p>
<p><span>"We all realise how difficult of a game it is. They did ever so well up at Sheffield Wednesday and they’ve had a decent start, so it’s going to be tough. </span><br /><br /><span>“They’ve got some good players. Some of the lads are still there from when I was there and they’ll get a good backing. It’ll be nice to see some old faces but we’re focussing on getting a good result ourselves."</span></p>
<p><strong>Ian Holloway:</strong></p>
<p>“We are going to need to be big and strong, and we’re going to have to battle. We have to look at what they do, and when they do it.</p>
<p>“They are a fantastic team and their two wide men are on fire, so we are going to have to deal with that.</p>
<p>“We will have to be better than we have been all season. Will we be able to do that against a team so high on confidence? I believe we can, yeah.</p>
<p>“It’s a big ask, but I can’t wait to take it on.”</p>
<p><strong>Match officials:</strong></p>
<p>Referee: Simon Hooper<br /><span>Assistants: Tim Wood and Mark Jones<br />Fourth official: Keith Stroud.</span></p>