While Tuesday’s trip to Bristol City may come too soon for him, Martin Rowlands may be back in contention for the visit of Nottingham Forest to Loftus Road this weekend.

Rowlands left the field in considerable pain during the second half of the opening day match with Blackpool. That was the captain’s first game back after six months out with knee ligament damage sustained in the win at Derby last season and initially it was feared that he had suffered a recurrence of that injury. However scans have since revealed a run of the mill ankle injury that is not expected to sideline him for too long.

The Kilburn Times reports today that Rowlands and Angelo balanta will both return from knocks sustained on day one at the weekend, while Alejandro Faurlin may be in line for his QPR debut on Tuesday night at Bristol City.

Manager Jim Magilton told the paper: “Faurlin's very close. We don't want to take a chance with someone who's had a thigh strain and bring him back early and then lose him again but he could be in and around the squad for Bristol City. We're looking at having Martin Rowlands back for Nottingham Forest and Angelo Balanta's another one, so great - the more the merrier.”

Bristol City will also have a fresh face involved on Tuesday night after completing the signing of Rangers’ striker Andrius Velicka on a season long loan. The 30 year old Lithuanian signed on at Ibrox for £1m last summer but has found chances limited and is the latest victim of the Scottish giants’ cost cutting following Alan Gow and Charlie Adam into the Championship.

The new R’s gaffer also took time out to praise Plymouth goalkeeper Romain Larrieu for his fine performance in frustrating Rangers at Home Park on Saturday. The Frenchman made a number of fine saves on Saturday, not least a one on one save from Rowan Vine in the final ten minutes.

Magilton told the Plymouth Evening Herald: “The back four and the goalkeeper were outstanding, but you have got to play until the final whistle. Credit to Plymouth. They kept coming at us and coming at us, but I expected us to see it out with the experience we have in the team. We sent out a very attack minded side. We came here to win the game. I feel that we should dominate the possession a little bit better, and we had wonderful opportunities to kill the game.

“I think the keeper has made two wonderful saves but, in saying that, we, as a club and as a team, set ourselves high standards. I think sloppiness and poor decisions at vital moments cost us today. But we didn't lose the game and we know Plymouth is a difficult place to come to. Paul threw everything at us, and probably feels he got his just rewards. Maybe one or two of the players are hoping to get a result away from home, rather than going and getting one. We are going to change that. We are going to keep being offensive and we are going to keep positive. I have got belief in these lads. I think they are a real honest bunch of players, sprinkled with real quality.”

In former QPR news Peterborough have today denied stories linking left back Tommy ‘square it’ Williams with moves to Championship rivals Middlesbrough, Leicester and Watford who are said to be interested in making £250k offers. Director of Football Barry Fry told the Peterborough Evening Post: “Fry said: "It's absolute rubbish. We have not had one single enquiry for Tom. I think you will find it is Tom's agent putting things about because he only has a year left on his contract. Everyone knows we don't sell any players that the manager doesn't want to sell.”

Simon Walton’s unhappy time at Plymouth could be coming to an end – he has joined Championship side Scunthorpe on trial. Whether Sunny Scunny would be to Walton’s liking, or more to the point his glamorous wife’s liking, remains to be seen.

Elsewhere in the Championship today, perhaps not surprisingly, the league has denied Crystal Palace’s requests to replay their weekend match with Bristol City, Palace lost 1-0 but had a perfectly good Freddy Sears goal disallowed when the match officials failed to realise it had hit the back of the net. Referee Rob Shoebridge has been dropped from his Tuesday night appointment at Plymouth v Cardiff but City boss Dave Jones says he believes the official should have been allowed to take charge of the game. Goalkeeper Roy Carroll has had his contract at Derby terminated and joined Odense in Denmark, West Brom have signed Chelsea youngster Shaun Cummings on loan as cover for injured full back Gianni Zuiverloon.

Photo: Action Images

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