Barclays Premier League
- Venue: Loftus Road
- Date: Sunday, 19 October
TEAM NEWS
QPR remain without midfielders Joey Barton and Jordon Mutch, who are still absent with hamstring problems.
Niko Kranjcar broke a toe in training but could be
involved, with the player reportedly prepared to have a pain-killing
injection in order to play.
Liverpool's Daniel Sturridge faces a further month on the sidelines after suffering a calf strain in training.
Midfielders Joe Allen and Emre Can and defender Dejan Lovren are all fit again.
MATCH PREVIEW
Raheem Sterling will step back into the spotlight on Sunday at QPR - the club where it all began for him as a schoolboy, a few years after arriving in England from Kingston, Jamaica.It is a birthplace he shares with Liverpool legend John Barnes, who also had his fair share of controversy as an England player.
Barnes will know the sort of pressure being heaped on Sterling after the youngster's admission he was tired before England's game in Estonia.
Sterling is a brilliant prospect, and helped run QPR ragged in Liverpool's 3-0 win on their last visit to Loftus Road. If Daniel Sturridge is fit to return, the visitors will surely have too much pace for Rangers' defensive veterans.
Lawro's prediction |
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"Daniel Sturridge will be back for Liverpool after his injury and I am expecting him to make a big difference. |
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"His pace and runs will stretch teams - yes, Liverpool also
have someone just as fast in Raheem Sterling, but he does not sit on the
shoulder of the opposition centre-back like Sturridge does." |
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Predictions: Lawro v Roddy Doyle |
The omens are bleak for the home side, who have lost five of their last six Premier League games against Liverpool. But their one victory in that sequence, in March 2012, could inspire Harry Redknapp's team talk.
Back then the Hoops were in the bottom three. Relegation looked certain, especially when the Reds led 2-0 at Loftus Road with 13 minutes to go.
But a Shaun Derry goal sparked an amazing comeback. Rangers claimed a 3-2 victory and won the next four at home as well, staying up against all odds.
They need another result like that to jump-start their season. Their next three games are against Aston Villa, Chelsea and Manchester City. Points are needed and fast.
But Liverpool cannot afford a fifth defeat of the season in all competitions. It took them until Boxing Day last year to lose that many.
They must not go into this with one eye on Real Madrid in the week either, or with the Sterling controversy affecting them. If they do, QPR, improbable as it seems, might just provide a sting to this little tale.
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head- Liverpool have won nine out of 12 Premier League games against QPR (D1, L2), including five of their last six.
- These sides have not played out a goalless draw since Boxing Day 1991.
- QPR have lost five of their opening seven top-flight matches for the third time in their history. They did likewise in the 2012-13 and 1995-96 seasons, both of which ended in relegation.
- They have committed fewer fouls (60) and amassed fewer yellow cards (eight) than any other Premier League side.
- The Hoops have kept just two clean sheets in their last 20 Premier League games.
- The Reds have kept just one clean sheet in their last 16 matches in all competitions (including 13 Premier League games).
- Liverpool have scored in 14 of their last 15 Premier League away trips to London.
- Mario Balotelli has scored one goal in his last 21 Premier League appearances, despite attempting 66 shots (including blocked efforts) in those games.
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