QPR are missing three to face Nottingham Forest tomorrow lunchtime – but boss Harry Redknapp has promised a start for Charlie Austin.
In fact, the manager is hoping the leading striker will last 70 minutes in the hope Hoops get back to winning ways.
Since his recovery from a shoulder injury, Austin has made three appearances off the bench, but a starting role for the forward might just paper over the cracks of a team depleted by injury.
Clint Hill (calf and ankle), Armand Traore (knee) and Joey Barton (thigh) will take no part in a game against a club that has to wait until the end of the season before Shepherd’s Bush-born Stuart Pearce takes over at the City Ground.
Redknapp added: “Hopefully, Nedum (Onuoha) will be fit; Aaron Hughes should be OK and Niko Kranjcar has been training all week.”
But the manager admitted he was risking 34-year-old Richard Dunne, in the wars at Bournemouth last Saturday with a head wound despite a stalwart appearance in the defeat at Blackburn on Tuesday.
“Dunney was running on empty at Blackburn, but we had no choice, and I’ve not got one tomorrow either.
“Maybe if we win I can leave him out next week and give him a rest.”
