24 Hour Notice: Southampton v QPR

Southampton v QPR · Championship · St Mary’s · Saturday 31 October, 3pm GMT

Welcome to the first 24 Hour Notice, our look ahead to Saints’ next game. Here’s the latest before today’s meeting with QPR.

Saints return to St Mary’s after a 3-2 win at West Ham. QPR arrive after putting five past Swansea, so both sides have reason to feel good about their last afternoon’s work.

What Tonda said

Tonda Eckert expects a difficult game against a QPR side that has defended well. In the club’s match pack, he said their defensive record was no coincidence and pointed to the challenge of facing a team fresh from scoring five.

At Friday’s press conference, Eckert also said he was happy with Saints’ week of training. He wants the players to take that work onto the pitch before attention turns to the two away games that follow.

Saints team news

Cyle Larin and Flynn Downes both missed the win at West Ham. Eckert said on Friday he was positive that at least one would return to the matchday squad. He did not confirm which player would be available, so both remain fitness questions until the teams are announced.

The QPR picture

Julien Stéphan’s side beat Swansea 5-0 at Loftus Road last weekend. Before that, they lost 3-0 at Birmingham and beat Derby 4-1. They have not won away since August, although they have lost only once in their first six away league games.

QPR’s threat is not limited to one scorer. The club’s match pack lists Richard Kone, Jimmy Dunne and Paul Smyth on three goals each, with Nicolas Madsen, Rumarn Burrell and Ilias Chair on two. These are the figures in the match pack published on Friday.

Who to watch

Richard Kone needed just 15 minutes to score his hat-trick against Swansea. His first came from a Smyth pass, his second from a Kwame Poku cross and his third from the penalty spot. Sky’s match report also notes that captain Jimmy Dunne headed in a corner and added another late goal. Saints will need to watch the deliveries as well as the striker.

Paul Smyth set up Kone’s opener and won the penalty. At the other end, Kuryu Matsuki is in scoring form for Saints, having opened the scoring at West Ham and netted the winner at Norwich.

QPR team news

QPR preview outlet Loft For Words reported on Friday that Madsen, Tariq Lamptey and Burrell remained unavailable. Jake Clarke-Salter was also a concern.

Stéphan was cautiously optimistic earlier in the week about Chair, Boy Kemper and Alfie Lloyd, according to West London Sport. Their involvement had not been confirmed in that update. Team news can change before kick-off.

The last meeting

Saints won the last meeting at St Mary’s 5-0 in February. QPR have since shown they can hand out a five-goal afternoon of their own. One of those scorelines today would be welcome; the other rather less so.