Two sides that sit just outside the playoff places in the Championship meet at Loftus Road this week as Queens Park Rangers host Sheffield Wednesday.

The visitors are unbeaten in their last five outings, while QPR have been in mixed form recently.

Queens Park Rangers

Queens Park Rangers sit 12th in the table ahead of this match, having suffered a 2-1 defeat to Birmingham City at the weekend. The Hoops have won just once in their last five matches, while drawing twice and slipping to two defeats.

Chris Ramsey's side have been involved in some high-scoring matches this season, leaving them with the most goals of any side in the second tier, with 19 from their first 11 fixtures of the campaign, while no side has conceded more.

The head coach has made an addition to his coaching staff over the last week, bringing in former QPR manager Neil Warnock in a part-time advisory role.

Charlie Austin made a strong start to the season, scoring seven goals in their first eight outings, but the club have been without their top scorer for a month through injury.

With the transfer window just a couple of months away, talk of Austin's future has increased over the last week, with new Sunderland manager Sam Allardyce being linked with a move for the striker in January.

QPR's best performances have come at home, with the team losing just one of their five fixtures at Loftus Road so far this season, although their 4-3 win over Bolton Wanderers earlier this month was their first victory in three home games.

Recent form: LDDLWL

Sheffield Wednesday

Sheffield Wednesday made a slow start to the season, picking up just one win in their opening seven matches, but the Owls have won three of their last four, leaving them ninth in the table, just four points off a playoff place.

Carlos Carvalhal's side were held to a point in their last outing though, as Hull City came from behind to secure a 1-1 draw at Hillsborough.

Fernando Forestieri netted the only goal for Wednesday in their draw with Hull, giving him his second goal in three appearances for the club, having joined from Watford in the final week of the summer transfer window.

The head coach has been praising the club's summer signings over the last week, having slowly integrated Forestieri, Barry Bannan, Daniel Pudil and Michael Turner into his squad, describing the quartet as "better and more ready" than when they joined the side.

The Owls have been below par defensively during the 2015-16 season, keeping just two clean sheets in their first 11 matches. The side has had more success down the other end of the pitch though, netting 16 times – the same as league leaders Brighton & Hove Albion.

In order to extend their current run of form, Wednesday will need to improve their performances on the road, with their next two matches coming away from Hillsborough. The Owls have won just one of their first five away matches.

Recent form: DWWWWD

Team News

Atdhe Nuhiu was left on the bench for the last game, with Lucas Joao partnering Forestieri up front, but Carvalhal has praised all three of the strikers, paving the way for Nuhiu to come back in for this match.

The visitors will be without Alex Lopez for the trip, though, after he picked up an injury in training following the draw with Hull City.

James Perch misses out for QPR after he received his fifth yellow card of the season in the loss to Birmingham, resulting in a one-match suspension for the defender.

The hosts will still be without Austin, who is not due back until the end of the month, while Jamie Mackie also remains sidelined, although Sandro is available again after managing 72 minutes at the weekend in just his second appearance of the season.

Queens Park Rangers possible starting lineup:
Green; Angella, Onuoha, Hall, Konchesky; Sandro, Henry, Phillips, Fer, Chery; Emmanuel-Thomas

Sheffield Wednesday possible starting lineup:
Westwood; Hunt, Lees, Turner, Pudil; Wallace, Lee, Hutchinson, Bannan; Forestieri, Nuhiu

Head To Head

When the sides last met in March 2014, it was Sheffield Wednesday who secured the win, beating QPR 3-0, although the Hoops won the last meeting between the two sides at Loftus Road.

The Owls' victory in their last match is the team's only win in their last five meetings with this week's opponents, and was boosted by the dismissal of Richard Dunne after just half an hour.

In 40 previous meetings there is little to separate the two teams, with Wednesday claiming 16 wins to QPR's 13, while 11 matches have resulted in draws. The Owls have been more prolific in front of goal though, scoring 67 times to QPR's 52.

We say: Queens Park Rangers 2-3 Sheffield Wednesday

Given QPR's goalscoring form and leaky defence, this is unlikely to be a low-scoring fixture. With the visitors rotating their strikers in recent weeks, the Owls' forwards will be keen to impress their head coach, while QPR, who will still be missing their top scorer, could struggle to keep up with their in-form opponents.