MARK Hughes made it plain today that if he wants high-paid stars to stay – they stay – regardless of whether QPR are relegated.

The Rangers boss dismissed any notion he would be forced to offload the likes of Bobby Zamora (pic) and Joey Barton to meet a Championship wage bill – even if the pair takes home in excess of £160,000 a week combined.

Sparky reiterated the claim made by chairman Tony Fernandes that every one at Loftus Road was there for the long haul, including himself.

“Wages were factored in to any equation in the first place,” said Hughes. “And if I feel players have to stay then that’s what will happen.

“I’ve said it many times, I’m here to do a job, and that’s what I’ll do.”

Adel Taarabt is set to make his 100 th appearance for Rangers against Arsenal tomorrow, and the manager is hoping everybody in the starting XI can bounce back from a poor 3-1 defeat at Sunderland last week.

“We didn’t prepare for Sunderland as well as we thought,” added Hughes. “And we need to compete and dictate to Arsenal if we are to get a result.

“I have to say, I would have preferred to come up against them when they were trying to find form rather than now.”

Djibril Cissé starts the first of a four-game ban, and fellow strikers Heidar Helguson DJ Campbell are back training with the first-team squad but are a week away from any action, according to Hughes.