MATCH FACTS

THE OPPOSITION

One of the pre-season favourites for the drop, Queens Park Rangers have surprised many by occupying a Play-Off spot for much of the opening quarter of the season.

With Parachute Payments from the Premier League now a thing of the past, Mark Warburton's first job was to further trim The R's bloated squad. Experienced professionals Jake Bidwell, Joel Lynch, Matt Smith, Luke Freeman, and Alex Baptiste were among 11 players to leave permanently with just five heading the other way. Geoff Cameron [Stoke City] and Marc Pugh [AFC Bournemouth] provided the experience alongside youngsters Dominic Ball [Rotherham United], Conor Masterson [Liverpool], and Dillon Barnes [Colchester United].

The final couple of weeks of the Transfer Window also saw Jordan Hugill [West Ham] and Nahki Wells [Burnley], pictured above, come in on loan with the pair forming a lethal partnership in the early weeks of the season. The duo have seven goals each to their name, with much sought-after Ebere Eze chipping in with six in the early stages of the campaign.

Never one to abandon his attacking principles, every Sky Bet Championship game including Warburton's R's this term has seen at least 1.5 goals with the 3.86 average goals in each home game the third highest figure in the second tier. With Rangers heading into tonight's game having conceded at least twice in their last five matches, while we arrive with six goals in two games to our name, it promises to be an enthralling evening in W12.

THE MANAGER

A man well known to the Brentford faithful, Mark Warburton became QPR's eighth different manager in just over four years when he took charge in the summer.

After a successful non-league career with the likes of Enfield Town and Boreham Wood, Warburton got into coaching in the early 2000's, combining Academy roles with his job as a trader. He spent a number of years at Watford, before joining The Bees as a coach alongside Nicky Forster in February 2011. He became Sporting Director that summer before returning to coaching, this time as Head Coach in December 2013.

Six months later he led us to promotion as runners-up from Sky Bet League One and the following season saw a fifth-place finish in the second tier. Warburton moved to Rangers in the summer of 2015, spending two years north of the border. After winning both the Scottish Championship title and the Scottish Challenge Cup, he came back to England but lasted just nine months in charge of Nottingham Forest in 2017.

TEAM NEWS

We will be without Sergi Canos and Nikos Karelis for tonight's encounter while Luka Racic and Mads Bech Sorensen are pushing for inclusion after returning to full fitness.

For QPR, joint-top scorer Jordan Hugill is suspended, Bright Osayi-Samuel his likely replacement. Luke Amos and Lee Wallace are back in contention but the game will come too early for Grant Hall.

THOMAS' PRE-MATCH THOUGHTS

PRE-MATCH BUILD UP

🆚 Hot off the Press: Tony Incenzo looks ahead to tonight's action

⚖ Andy Woolmer takes charge in W12

LAST MEETING

TICKET INFO

Tickets will be available tonight in W12 from the away turnstiles.

*Supporters who buy U23 tickets must have proof of age.

HOW TO FOLLOW

iFollow Brentford will be live from 7.15pm with Mark Burridge, Mick Cabble and Ciaran Brett bringing you all the action as we look to make it nine Sky Bet Championship points in nine days.

Click below to find out more about how you can follow the game wherever you are!

iFollow | Domestic (UK, Ireland, Isle of Man)

iFollow | International (other countries worldwide)

Due to broadcast regulations, this game will not be available to watch for international iFollow subscribers.

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