Warburton faces keeper problem after Archer is injured in QPR cup win

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QPR boss Mark Warburton admitted he faces a potential goalkeeper crisis after Jordan Archer was injured while making the decisive save in a penalty shoot-out against Rotherham.

Archer’s save from Chiedozie Ogbene took Rangers through to the fourth round of the FA Cup.

But he appeared to seriously hurt his shoulder in the process and was taken straight to hospital after several minutes of treatment on the pitch.


It leaves Rangers with a problem because back-up keeper Archer was playing in the absence of Seny Dieng, who is at the Africa Cup of Nations with Senegal.

Warburton is therefore likely to need to bring in a keeper or turn to teenager Joe Walsh, who is yet to make a first-team appearance for the club.

“The medical team have taken over, looked after Jordan and he’ll get great care. He’s gone straight to hospital and we’ll see how he is,” Warburton said.

“He’s landed on his left shoulder. I’ll get a phone call later to tell me how he is. He’s in good hands.

“It does leave us with a potential problem, although we’ve got Joe Walsh who has done very well.

“We might have to do something. We’ll have to see what’s available and what we can do.

“Joe is a bright young keeper with a good future ahead of him though. If needed then I’ve no doubt he’ll step up.”

League One leaders Rotherham went ahead eight minutes into extra time when Wes Harding’s long diagonal ball from the right dropped to fellow defender Michael Ihiekwe, whose low shot went in off the far post.

Rangers equalised when Lyndon Dykes’ header from Albert Adomah’s right-wing cross was tipped against the underside of the bar by keeper Josh Vickers but the ball then ricocheted off Vickers’ back and over the line.

Warburton admitted: “Rotherham are very good at what they do. They’re very direct, can kill a game and make it very hard to have rhythm and tempo to it.

“We fell into their trap and didn’t impose ourselves on the game. I felt it was a scrappy game and we didn’t move the ball very well.

“We got dragged into a challenging game. They’re better at what they do than we are at what they do.

“We didn’t impose ourselves on the game. But all credit to the players, they found a way to win.”

QPR: Archer; Dickie, Dunne, Barbet; Adomah, Ball (Amos 70), Johansen, Wallace (Odubajo 59 (Drewe 90); Thomas (Dozzell 70); Gray, Austin (Dykes 59).
Subs not used: Walshe, Field, Duke-McKenna, Armstrong.