Palace v QPR

Selhurst Park, Saturday 3.00pm

Story so far

Heider Helguson and Gary Borrowdale have just joined QPR on loan in an effort to shore-up the defence and grab a few more goals - bar Dexter Blackstock, nobody can really put the ball away at QPR.

Fitz Hall is suspended while Mikele Leigertwood and Gary Borrowdale return to Selhurst. Mikele should get a footballing lesson from Ben Watson while Borrowdale hopefully has one of his bad games with Sean Scannell running rings around him.

I'm amazed by the stick that Borrowdale has been getting recently. He left us when he was out of contract after having a very good season (by his standards) showing that he is a capable Championship full-back.

Team news

Manager Neil Warnock is likely to stick with the winning team that beat Norwich City in midweek.

Paul Ifill faces a late fitness test on his troublesome hamstring. Captain Shaun Derry has overcome his recent virus and will be aiming for a starting role.

QPR have signed Heidar Helguson and former Palace left-back Gary Borrowdale on loan. However, ex-Palace defender Fitz Hall and Emmanuel Ledesma will sit the game out through suspension.

Midfielder Martin Rowlands (thigh), winger Lee Cook (knee) and defender Matthew Connolly (back) are likely to miss out.

Quotes

Roy Hodgson

“I am disappointed that we have been given Rob Styles as referee again simply because of the comments I made about him in my book.

“I feel strongly about two of the decisions he made that season [two years ago]. I was hoping I would never get him again and I am disappointed I do.”

Jose Fonte

"Paulo Sousa is a huge figure in Portugal. He gained so much respect because he was a massive player for the national team and he played for some of Europe's biggest clubs.

"Maybe there was a bit of surprise that he is managing QPR but he is very respected in Italy and Flavio Briatore is Italian so that must have played a part.

"He knows the game extremely well and I have so much respect for him. It will be an honour to play against him."

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QPR - league stats

Position	Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	Points
10th	19	8	4	7	28

Full league table

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QPR - current form

Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	For	Against
5	2	0	3	7	2

Full form table

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Our home record v QPR

Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	For	Against
43	15	18	10	55	44

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Last five results

Date	Type	Home Team	Score	Away Team
04/12/2007	League	QPR	1 - 2	Crystal Palace
10/11/2007	League	Crystal Palace	1 - 1	QPR
02/12/2006	League	Crystal Palace	3 - 0	QPR
04/11/2006	League	QPR	4 - 2	Crystal Palace
14/02/2006	League	Crystal Palace	2 - 1	QPR

All time results

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One to watch

Dexter Blackstock

Blackstock's doing alright this season. He's one of those players that seems to have been around forever but it's only now that he's showing what he is capable of.

He had a good season last season, finishing with a goal tally of 14. He's carrying on from there with 9 goals already this season.

Ref watch

Rob Styles.

Yellow cards, a sending off or two, a penalty here and there and a game ruined by complete incompetence awaits us.

Last meeting

QPR 1-2 Palace

Tuesday December 04 2007

QPR: Camp, Rehman, Stewart, Malcolm, Barker, Rowlands (Nygaard, 72), Buzsaky (Bolder, 86), Leigertwood, Sinclair, Sahar (Balanta, 83), Vine

Subs not used: Cole, Ainsworth

Goals: Stewart 10

Bookings: Camp, Rehman, Rowlands

Palace: Speroni, Butterfield, Hudson, Fonte (Hills, 52), Hill, Soares (Fletcher, 73), Watson, Derry, Songo'o (Scannell, 60), Scowcroft, Morrison

Subs not used: Freedman, Martin

Goals: Hill 65, Morrison 68

Bookings: Butterfield

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