Chair ‘close to coming back’ for QPR

Julien Stephan says Ilias Chair is close to rejoining the rest of the QPR squad for training.

Chair has been plagued by injuries during the past couple of years and is again working his way back to fitness.

He has been out since going off during the first half of Rangers’ 1-0 defeat at home against Middlesbrough on 5 September.

Head coach Stephan said: “He’s close to coming back (to training) collectively with us.

“We can imagine that for this week it could be difficult. But after that everything is open – it depends on the last scan he will have at the end of the week.

“But we are at the end of the rehab with him. He has worked very, very well. He’s very positive.

“Everyone is very positive around him about the rehab, so thinking he is in a good place now to come back quite quickly.”

Meanwhile, Rangers are still assessing an ankle injury Tariq Lamptey picked up after coming on as a substitute during Friday’s 1-1 draw at West Ham.

Lamptey will miss Wednesday’s game against Derby along with Rumarn Burrell and Koki Saito.

The match is the first of three in the space of 10 days for Stephan’s side, who are away to Birmingham on Saturday and at home to Swansea the following weekend.

“We will have a competitive team on Wednesday we will have a competitive team on Saturday, and we will fight like we fought against West Ham to deliver the best performance possible,” Stephan declared.