QPR plan major changes after another injury-plagued season

Gareth Ainsworth has been without several QPR players (Picture: Ian Randall Photography)

Gareth Ainsworth has indicated that QPR will look to make major changes in an attempt to avoid a repeat of the injury problems which have plagued the club in the past two seasons.

Rangers, who topped the table in October, have lost several players this season to muscle injuries – a problem that also derailed their play-off push last season under Mark Warburton and contributed to Neil Critchley losing his job after just 12 games.


The club have pumped money in to their sports science and medical departments in recent years yet have regularly been without key players.

“I think what I bring after 10 years as a manager is that I have a lot of experience and I was studying to be a physiotherapist at one stage,” R’s boss Ainsworth said.

“I’m not saying I know as much as everyone else, but we can work together and collaborate on how it can be better.”

Ainsworth has been without the likes of Ilias Chair, Ethan Laird and Chris Willock in recent weeks – and his predecessors experienced similar problems.

“You can have a mistake, but if it keeps repeating itself then we have got an issue and have to look at that.

“I would be a poor manager if I didn’t look into making this better. Whatever that means, we will do.

“It’s the football club that is important and I will look to see what is causing these recurring things.

“We have to make sure we are better at this because injuries will kill you. When your best players are out it hurts you.

“It’s like Man United being without (Marcus) Rashford or Manchester City without (Erland) Haaland. If you lose your best players you are going to be weaker.

“We have lost too many key players, too many times over too many seasons and we have to look at that.”