A key battle at the bottom end of the Championship table will square off at the John Smith's Stadium on Saturday, as Huddersfield Town entertain Queens Park Rangers.

The visitors find themselves in the relegation zone after three consecutive defeats prior to the international break, while their hosts sit three points better off in 19th place.

Match preview

Huddersfield Town return to action following the second international break of the Championship season with 11 points on the board from their opening 11 games, having already undergone change this term.

After overseeing their escape from the threat of relegation last time around, Neil Warnock led the Terriers into the new term, but he then announced he would depart in mid-September, ending his tenure with the Yorkshire outfit on eight points from seven matches following back-to-back victories over Rotherham United and West Bromwich Albion and a draw with Stoke City.

They then took steps to appoint Darren Moore as his successor, and the new boss began with a dramatic share of the spoils against Coventry City, thanks to Michal Helik's injury-time leveller to see it end at a goal apiece, before making it back-to-back 1-1 draws with an impressive result at home to high-flying Ipswich Town, despite going ahead through Delano Burgzorg and being held back late on.

Such a result took the Yorkshire side's unbeaten run to five league matches, but that streak was then halted in a 4-1 beating away at Birmingham City, before they most recently travelled to take on basement side Sheffield Wednesday and failed to make a return to winning ways, instead coming away with a share of the spoils from a goalless stalemate.

Now returning to action with a three-point lead over Saturday's visitors in the relegation zone and winless in four Championship games under Darren Moore, Huddersfield Town will be desperate to put three important points on the board at the weekend to extend their cushion at the bottom end of the division.

They welcome a Queens Park Rangers side who travel north hoping to close that gap and improve their own standing in the fight at the bottom of the division with what would be a third win of the campaign.

After finishing 20th in England's second tier last term, just six points above the relegation zone, the London side set out to again avoid the drop under Gareth Ainsworth's management this time around, but they have endured a tough start with just eight points on the board from their opening 11 outings.

The more recent of their two victories thus far came away at Middlesbrough at the beginning of September, but they have only managed just two more points in the following six outings prior to the recent international break, culminating in three straight defeats.

After losing 3-1 and 1-0 to Coventry City and Leeds United respectively, the R's most recently hosted Blackburn Rovers and suffered a 4-0 thrashing at Loftus Road as Arnor Sigurdsson netted a brace for their visitors alongside goals from Tyrhys Dolan and Sammie Szmodics.

Such a result sees Queens Park Rangers return to action in 22nd spot with a two-point gap to safety and a three-point gap to their hosts, and they will go in search of a much-needed win on Saturday to move level with the Terriers and avoid being cut adrift in the bottom three.

Team News

Huddersfield Town still have several players confined to the treatment room heading into Saturday's game, with Oliver Turton sidelined alongside David Kasumu and Danny Ward.

Moore may opt to make several changes to the team that drew 0-0 away at Sheffield Wednesday last time out, with Tom Lees vying to return to the back three alongside Matty Pearson and Michal Helik and Josh Ruffels expected to move back out to his left wing-back role to accommodate Lees.

Ben Wiles will also hope to return to the midfield, but Jack Rudoni and Jonathan Hogg remain key men with Moore having deployed a more attacking unit of Sorba Thomas, Josh Koroma and Delano Burgzorg at Hillsborough.

Queens Park Rangers will remain without defender Morgan Fox due to an injury, while fellow centre-back Steve Cook is also subject to a late fitness test, meaning Ainsworth may again have to field a back four with Jimmy Dunne and Jake Clarke-Salter partnering up in the centre.

In front of them, key midfielder Sam Field will return to contention for the R's after serving a suspension against Blackburn, and he could rejoin Jack Colback and Andre Dozzell in the engine room.

Ahead of them, Ilias Chair will likely get the nod to start over Chris Willock in an advanced midfield role, while Lyndon Dykes and Sinclair Armstrong will again hope to lead the line as they each look for their second Championship goal of the season.

Huddersfield Town possible starting lineup:
Nicholls; Pearson, Helik, Lees; Edwards, Hogg, Rudoni, Ruffels; Thomas; Koroma, Burgzorg

Queens Park Rangers possible starting lineup:
Begovic; Kakay, Clarke-Salter, Dunne, Paal; Colback, Field, Dozzell; Chair; Dykes, Armstrong

We say: Huddersfield Town 1-0 Queens Park Rangers

Both sides have struggled to consistently score goals so far this term, while the visitors in particular have looked concerning at the back in recent games, and we see a single goal settling the contest in the Terriers' favour at the weekend.


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