Paul Jewell is expected to recall loanee Jimmy Bullard for the trip to league leaders QPR but the Blues boss says picking his midfield for this evening's game was the toughest call of his time at Portman Road (KO 8pm). The midfielder missed Saturday’s 1-1 draw with his parent club Hull City as he was unavailable under the terms of his loan.

While Bullard is likely to return at Loftus Road, Jewell was at pains to point out that no one is guaranteed a place in his side: “Nobody walks straight back into the team but Jimmy comes in for consideration.

“I thought Andy Drury and Colin Healy were terrific, along with Grant on Saturday, but Jimmy’s been outstanding since he’s been here.

“These are headaches that managers like. I want to get into a situation where I’ve almost got two players for every position so that when we do make a change it doesn’t weaken the team, it’s seamless. That’s what we’re after.”

January signing from Luton Drury looks the man most likely to drop out even though he impressed his manager against the Tigers: “It was a good debut from Andy Drury on Saturday, you wouldn’t have thought that it was his first game at this level. He did really well on Saturday and I’ve a decision to make.

“It’s a great problem to have. I’ve made the decision, it was a tough one, but that’s what you want as a manager — plenty of tough decisions. It’s the toughest decision I’ve had to make since I’ve been here.”

Despite Town having scored 17 goals in Jewell’s seven league matches in charge, the Blues boss says he wants his side to be more dangerous in the penalty area: “What we’ve been working on is trying to finish with a cross or a shot when we get into the final third. Too often it just fizzles out.

“We want to try and have an attempt on goal or a cross. Our goals-for tally is an area where we need to improve. We got six at Donny, but that was pretty much a one-off.

“Over the season as a whole, goalscoring’s been a bit of a problem for us. At the back, so far, they haven’t been too bad.

“It’s nice to see people having shots and hitting the target, but we’d like to get more crosses into the box and more people on the end of them.”

Jewell admitted his side was a little low after conceding a late equaliser for the second week running against Hull and is looking for the same reaction as a week ago: “We came back from Barnsley and bounced back with a good result at Donny on Tuesday.

“The late goal on Saturday was a kick in the teeth again. [A win at QPR] would be great, but we’ll take each and every game on its own merits and every game at this level is tough.

The Town manager says a victory over Neil Warnock’s top-of-the-table side would be a major boost: “It would be huge and three points in any league is massive.

“Going to the leaders is going to be difficult, but it’s a great, atmospheric ground and it’s under lights. It’ll be a tough game but that’s the type of game you want to be playing in.

“Just because they’re the top team don’t think our preparation will change. Our preparation is the same for every game. We respect everybody but fear nobody.”

Loanee Bullard returning is likely to be Town’s one change with Márton Fülöp continuing in goal, Mark Kennedy at left-back, Carlos Edwards at right-back and Damien Delaney and Gareth McAuley at the centre of the defence.

Bullard will probably come in for Drury alongside stand-in skipper Grant Leadbitter with Colin Healy completing the central midfield triumvirate. Connor Wickham - who is expected to be OK despite turning his ankle on Saturday - and Lee Martin will take the wide roles with Jason Scotland again the lone central striker.

Drury dropping to the bench is likely to see Luke Hyam pushed out of the 18 with Jewell having been consistent in his choice of subs since taking over at Portman Road.

Skipper David Norris misses out with the ankle injury he suffered at Barnsley, having recovered from the knee problem he sustained in the same game. The midfielder probably won’t be ready for Saturday’s home game with Portsmouth but is likely to be available the following week when Town travel to Cardiff.

Shane O’Connor is training after his bout of suspected appendicitis but not yet ready for consideration, while Brian Murphy is around a month away from a return from his broken ankle. Alan Quinn is continuing his recovery after his latest groin operation.

QPR boss Neil Warnock is calling on his club’s fans to play their part as his team — five points clear of Nottingham Forest in second and 19 ahead of the Blues in 13th — go into the final straight: "I would like to say a special thank you to all the fans who made the trip [to Preston] on Saturday, and no doubt they will be doing the same this weekend when we take on Middlesbrough.

"It goes without saying how important their support has been for us this season on our travels. And between now and the end of the season, our home fans will need to play their part more than ever.

"They've been superb so far but now I am asking for even more from them in our last seven matches of the season at Loftus Road."

Rangers will be without Tommy Smith (hamstring) and Hogan Ephraim (suspended), while midfielder Akos Buzsaky, a Hungarian international team-mate of Tamás Priskin and Márton Fülöp, returned from four months out with a knee injury at the weekend.

Full-back Peter Ramage (cruciate knee ligament) and strikers Jamie Mackie and Patrick Agyemang (broken legs) are long-term absentees.

Defender Matt Connolly and winger Wayne Routledge are expected to be fine despite picking up minor knocks during Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Deepdale, while Harrow Borough striker Troy Hewitt could have joined the R’s in time for the game after impressing while on trial.

Town have won 28 of the previous encounters between the sides (26 in the league), Rangers 22 (20) and 18 (17) have ended in draws. The Blues have been victorious on three of their last four visits to Loftus Road, the other ending in a goalless draw.

In September, QPR brought Town’s unbeaten start to the season to an abrupt end as Neil Warnock’s impressive side ran out comfortable 3-0 winners at Portman Road. Jamie Mackie struck twice in the first half and Heidar Helguson added a third from the spot after the break.

The teams last met at Loftus Road in February when first half goals from David Norris and Daryl Murphy helped the Blues to a 2-1 victory, Town’s first double of last season.

The Blues were much the better side in the first half but lost their way in the second period, however, the R's could only manage a solitary reply via Jay Simpson, who coincidentally scored Hull’s goal against Town on Saturday.

Blues striker Tamás Priskin spent the second half of last season on loan at Loftus Road, scoring once in 13 appearances, while left-back Mark Kennedy was on loan with the R's for just over a month in 1998, scoring twice in eight games.

Defender Damien Delaney joined the Blues from QPR in the summer of 2009 and Kevin Lisbie, currently with Millwall, made one start and one sub appearance during a loan spell at Loftus Road back in 2000/01, failing to score.

None of Neil Warnock’s squad have played for the Blues, but Shaun Derry was amongst former boss Roy Keane’s summer targets before opting to move to west London. Rangers signed Paul Jewell’s former Wigan right-back Pascal Chimbonda during the transfer window, a player the Blues boss had targeted.

Fans should note that no tickets will be available to away supporters on the night of the game. Tickets must have been purchased in advance.

Tuesday’s referee is Kevin Wright from Cambridgeshire, who has shown 56 yellow and two red cards in 17 games so far this season. Wright’s most recent Town match was the 1-0 defeat at Blackpool in March in which he booked Blues Grant Leadbitter and Liam Rosenior and two Tangerines.

Probable squad: Fülöp, Lee-Barrett, Edwards, Kennedy, Delaney, McAuley, Smith, O’Dea, Leadbitter, Bullard, Drury, Healy, Martin, Wickham, Civelli, Peters, Scotland, Priskin.

Story syndicated from TWTD.co.uk

Photo: Action Images

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