Poku tipped for quick return for QPR

Julien Stephan says he expects Kwame Poku to be available for QPR’s match against Middlesbrough on Saturday.

Poku, who was hampered by hamstring trouble during his first season at Rangers, has made an encouraging start to this term and featured in the first four games.

The winger was not involved in the win over Cardiff in midweek, but Stephan has indicated that Poku will be involved against Boro.

“Poku needed to rest. But he will be available on Saturday, no problem,” said Stephan.

The Rangers head coach has spoken recently about the need to manage his squad during a hectic period of matches.

That included a quadruple substitution during the second half of the Cardiff game, which involved replacing or moving three of Rangers’ back four.

Amadou Mbengue and Tariq Lamptey went off and Ronnie Edwards switched to midfield.

Glen Kamara and Nicolas Madsen also went off.

Mbengue had picked up a knock, while the other substitutions were planned because Lamptey, Kamara and Madsen are managing their fitness.

And Stephan admitted: “I don’t like to do that. I don’t like it. But I didn’t have a choice.

“It was planned before the game that they could play 65 minutes maximum. So the only choice that I did during the four changes, it was Amadou because I felt he tired, so I wanted to bring some fresh legs.

“It’s a consequence of the management that we have to do. We had to change three players on the defensive line. It’s not something that I like, but we needed to do that and we planned something.

“It’s a clever plan to manage the players. So no injury, no problem, it was just a question of management.”