With just two victories between them in the 2024-25 Championship campaign, Queens Park Rangers and Millwall lock horns in a Saturday lunchtime encounter at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium.
Marti Cifuentes's side are reeling from an EFL Cup exit to Crystal Palace in midweek, while their visitors were bested 1-0 by Luton Town at the weekend.
Match preview
A morale-boosting six-game unbeaten sequence for QPR was snapped on Tuesday night, when Cifuentes's men sought to pull off an upset of Premier League Palace in the third round of the EFL Cup but fell victim to the Eberechi Eze show.
Either side of a leveller from Sam Field, Eze teed up former Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah before going from provider to goalscorer in the second half, ending both QPR's faint hopes of EFL Cup glory and a streak without defeat that had lasted for almost a month.
Cifuentes had masterminded three wins and three draws across all competitions before his side's midweek reverse, but the hosts still have a four-game Championship unbeaten run intact, most recently drawing 1-1 with Sheffield Wednesday in a tale of two added-time goals.
With six points to show from five matches in 2024-25, QPR are residing right in the middle of the standings in 12th place and have been consistent at both ends of the pitch, being the only Championship team to score and concede in every league game so far this term.
Quickly establishing themselves as the Championship comeback kings, Cifuentes's side have taken five of their six points from losing positions this term - more than any other side in the division - having had to fight back from a goal down for their only win to date over Luton Town.
Absent from EFL Cup duty in midweek on account of their shock 1-0 home defeat to Leyton Orient in the second round, Millwall returned to Championship duty last week hoping to kick on after a 3-0 demolition of Sheffield Wednesday just before the international break.
However, the two-week hiatus certainly came at the worst possible time for Neil Harris's men, who conceded a 10th-minute goal to Luton Town's Teden Mengi and failed to respond in the 80 that were left, not helped by a couple of early injuries.
While congratulating their opponents on the win, Harris refused to label Luton the better team on the day, insisting that his side showed the application and desire to take all three points only to be let down by their final product in key moments.
The Lions are languishing in an unspectacular 18th place owing to their mediocre start, although they are the highest of the four four-point teams thanks to a goal difference of zero, and their eight strikes at the correct end of the pitch is the best record in the bottom half of the division.
Home was where the heart was in both fixtures between QPR and Millwall last season, as each side beat the other 2-0 in front of their own supporters, but the Lions came up trumps 2-1 at Loftus Road in February 2023, their only win from their last 12 trips to the Hoops' headquarters.
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Team News
Despite having to come off at the break in last weekend's draw with Sheffield Wednesday due to feeling "dizzy", QPR man Field was fit enough to start, score and complete the full 90 minutes in the cup loss to Crystal Palace.
Ilias Chair and Morgan Fox are still missing, though - the former is suffering from a back issue, while left-back Fox is struggling with an unspecified niggle - and it also remains to be seen if Jake Clarke-Salter and Liam Morrison will return for Saturday's fixture.
Cifuentes's men put up a brilliant fight against Palace, but the hosting manager should not shy away from a few changes for the weekend, one of which should see two-assist winger Karamoko Dembele recalled to the side.
Millwall were not so fortunate on the injury front in their last match, as Josh Coburn only lasted until the 34th minute of the defeat to QPR, before captain Jake Cooper had to be taken off at the half-time interval.
Harris quickly delivered the bad news that Coburn's calf injury will sideline him for at least six and potentially up to eight weeks, while Cooper will need a late fitness test alongside Mihailo Ivanovic (foot fracture).
Billy Mitchell (hip), Adam Mayor and Tom Bradshaw welcome Coburn into the Millwall medical bay, and the forward's absence opens the door for Macauley Langstaff - still waiting for a maiden Lions goal - to make his first Championship start of the season.
Queens Park Rangers possible starting lineup:
Nardi; Hevertton, Dunne, Cook, Paal; Colback, Field; Dembele, Andersen, Madsen; Frey
Millwall possible starting lineup:
Jensen; Leonard, Tanganga, Hutchinson, Bryan; Saville, De Norre; Esse, Honeyman, Watmore; Langstaff
We say: Queens Park Rangers 2-2 Millwall
Goals at both ends of the pitch are usually a guarantee when QPR are in action, and a Millwall side more prolific than any bottom-half team can capitalise on any weary Hoops legs from their EFL Cup exploits.
Cifuentes's side have often risen up in the face of adversity this season, though, and we can see their unbeaten streak - and affinity for draws - extending in a high-scoring stalemate.
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