Stephan: Injury-hit QPR will play with striker

QPR will play with a recognised striker in their opening Championship match of the season, Julien Stephan has insisted.

Michael Frey is among a number of players unavailable for Saturday’s visit of Preston – new head coach Stephan’s first competitive match at the helm.

Rangers’ lack of attacking options meant they operated without a bona fide centre-forward during recent pre-season friendlies.

But Stephan suggested that Zan Celar and Rayan Kolli, who were also out for much of the summer, are in contention to play this weekend along with recent signing Rumarn Burrell.

The Frenchman said: “We didn’t have a striker in the last friendly games but tomorrow we will play with a number 9.

“They (Celar, Kolli and Burrell) trained well in the last days and we are confident that they are able to play tomorrow – probably not all together, but they are able to play between 30 and 60 or 70 minutes, so let’s see what choice we will do.

“We are happy with the week’s work of the three players. We have more options than the last few weeks and will decide how to manage the situation, but we will have a real striker.

“I prefer to play with a real striker – a real number 9 – and after that organise the team around the number 9.”

Captain Jimmy Dunne and midfielder Jonathan Varane are among the other QPR players who will miss Saturday’s game.

The club are still assessing the extent of a hip injury Dunne suffered during the friendly against Brentford on Saturday, when Varane took a knock to the head.