Redknapp unsure whether Chevanton is the answer to QPR’s striker shortage

Boss Harry Redknapp has described his signing of Javier Chevanton as a “gamble” and admitted he is unsure whether the veteran striker will make an impact at QPR.

The Uruguay international, 33, was a free agent having left Italian club Lecce and Redknapp agreed to sign him on a short-term contract because of injuries to Bobby Zamora and Andy Johnson.

Following Rangers’ relegation Redknapp targeted only British players or others with experience of English football, but he was running out of options after being unable to bring in a forward on loan.

He said: “Chevanton is an experienced player who has been around.

“We had him in for a few days and are short of strikers at the moment, so we took a little gamble with him.

“I just hope he can come here and do well. If he’s still anywhere near as good as he was, he’ll be excellent.

“That’s the chance you take – you hope so. We don’t know for sure. He’ll be involved against Middlesbrough – we’ll maybe throw him in at the deep end.

“Hopefully it goes well for him. He’s shown a good attitude and really wanted to come to England.”

Zamora is likely to be out until next year following knee surgery, and with Johnson’s own knee problem causing some concern, Redknapp is short of out-and-out strikers.

He explained: “You can now only get people on loan or take someone who’s out of contract. Chevanton didn’t have a contract.

“We only had three strikers and so we lose two of them and there’s only Charlie Austin. We had to get somebody.”

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