QPR vs Leicester Previews...Leigertwood Speaks....Great Britain's Amputees Football Team

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BBC - Leigertwood prepares for century
- QPR midfielder Mikele Leigertwood says his two seasons at Loftus Road have been eventful as he prepares to make his 100th appearance for the club.
- The 26-year-old, who joined in September 2007, is one of their longest serving players and will reach his landmark against Leicester on Friday.
- He told BBC London 94.9: "There's been a lot of change in my short time here - managers, players and personnel.
- "It's taken its time but it seems to be paying off at the moment."
- Rangers have won their last three matches, having scored four goals in each of those games -a run which has seen them climb amongst the promotion chasing pack.
- Leigertwood was the first of a host of big money signings to arrive after the club changed ownership in 2007, but when he was bought for £900,000 by John Gregory the club were heading in a different direction.
- "The players have changed, we've changed managers numerous times and they're (the owners) just trying to get the right formula," he said.
- "We're doing well at the moment but most of us now have been here for a little while since the new owners came in.
- "Obviously Gaz (Gareth Ainsworth) is still here, Damion Stewart's still here, a lot of the players signed in the January after the owners came in and we've got Adel (Taraabt) and Wayne (Routledge) who on their day are world beaters.
- "It's nice to go from relegation troubles to potential title challengers.
- "But we don't want to speak about promotion until it's a real possibility, it's still early days yet and we've just got to keep our heads and try not to get complacent." BBC


QPR vs Leicester

SOCCERNET - Watson sits out Foxes visit

QPR will again be without the suspended Ben Watson when they host Leicester.
The on-loan Wigan midfielder serves the second game of his two-match ban for his recent sending-off against Reading - his second red card of the season.

Utility man Mikele Leigertwood returned as a substitute at Derby last weekend following a bout of swine flu and will push for a start either in midfield or at right-back.

Rangers, who will move level with second-placed Cardiff with a victory, are still missing a host of players through injury and illness.

Skipper Martin Rowlands is out for the season with a cruciate injury, defender Matthew Connolly is still missing with glandular fever and midfielder Hogan Ephraim (ankle), winger Lee Cook (knee) and strikers Angelo Balanta (groin) and Alessandro Pellicori (knee) are also sidelined.

Leicester`s squad is unchanged for the trip.

Bulgarian defender Aleksandar Tunchev remains the only absentee as he recovers from another knee operation.

Manager Nigel Pearson is unlikely to make too many changes to his starting line-up following Monday night`s 1-0 win over Reading.

After scoring the goals that saw City return to winning ways at home to Crystal Palace in the previous game, Paul Gallacher was recalled at the Madejski Stadium. The only other change against the Royals saw on loan striker Martyn Waghorn come into the side and the Sunderland teenager responded by netting the winning goal.

Following successive clean sheets, the defence is likely to remain the same so Bruno Berner and Michael Morrison look set for substitute roles once more.

At the other end of the pitch, Dany N`Guessan, Yann Kermorgant, Steve Howard and DJ Campbell provide the options should Pearson want to freshen up his attack. Soccernet


BBC QPR v Leicester
Coca Cola Championship
Venue: Loftus Road Date: Friday, 30 October 2009 Kick-off: 1945 GMT
Coverage: BBC Sport website, BBC Radio 5 live, BBC local radio & highlights on The Football League Show

TEAM NEWS

QPR's on-loan midfielder Ben Watson is serving a two-match suspension, but Mikele Leigertwood is back in contention for a starting place.

Leigertwood has recovered from flu and defender Fitz Hall a groin problem, but Hogan Ephraim and Angelo Balanta are still out injured.

Leicester manager Nigel Pearson has no new injuries or suspensions to worry about ahead of the trip to Loftus Road.

Aleksandar Tunchev and Stephen Clemence remain on the sidelines.

MATCH PREVIEW

There seems to be no stopping Queens Park Rangers and their slick passing football at the moment, but they now face another side that are in good form.

Leicester are fifth - two places above the R's - and, like the west London side, have lost just two league games so far this season.

And while Rangers are strong at home, Leicester have been equally impressive on the road. A victory at Loftus Road would be the Foxes' 11th away league win of 2009.

Leicester could cause Jim Magilton's men problems if they can contain the likes of Akos Buzsaky, Adel Taarabt and Wayne Routledge. But that, as a growing number of Championship teams are discovering, is easier said than done.

MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head

• QPR are unbeaten in four league games against Leicester (2W, 2D).

• Leicester have won twice in 11 visits to Loftus Road over the last 28 years.

Queens Park Rangers

• QPR have won their last three Championship matches, scoring four goals in each of them. They have beaten Preston 4-0, Reading 4-1 and Derby 4-2.

• Jim Magilton's side are second in the Championship's 'form table' with 13 points out of 18.

• Rangers have conceded an average of a goal a game in the Championship this season (13 in 13).

• They have won their last three home league games and are unbeaten in 12 at Loftus Road, winning six and drawing six since losing to Norwich on 3 March.

• Rangers have the best scoring rate in home Championship games, with 16 scored so far this season.

• Mikele Leigertwood is set to make his 100th appearance for the club. And if on the field from the outset, he will also be making his 200th league start.

Leicester

• Leicester are unbeaten in five Championship matches and have won their last two.

• The Foxes last won three successive matches in the Championship in February 2007.

• They have conceded one goal in five matches and kept clean sheets in the last three.

MOST RECENT MEETING
QPR 3-1 Leicester (1 January 2008)

QPR scorers: Stewart 15, Bolder 26, Blackstock 56.

Leicester scorer: Hume 59. BBC


The Times - Rob Wright
October 29, 2009
Rangers the bet at 10-11
QPR look worthy favourites at general odds of 10-11 to beat Leicester in their Coca-Cola Championship match at Loftus Road on Friday evening.

Rangers go into the clash unbeaten in six home starts this season and with confidence sky-high after claiming a third consecutive win when coming from behind to triumph 4-2 away to Derby last Saturday.

While manager Jim Magilton will be keen to eradicate the defensive lapses that led to his side trailing 2-0 in that match, his team’s ability to find goals when required makes them a potent force.

Rangers, who have notched 11 goals in their past three games, find themselves well placed in seventh spot, trailing leaders Newcastle by only four points, and fifth-placed Leicester by a single point. They enjoy a game in hand over each of the teams above them.

Magilton deserves much praise for his shaping of the team since taking the reigns this summer, notably exploiting the loan system to great effect in recruiting Adel Taarabt, Jay Simpson and Ben Watson from Spurs, Arsenal and Wigan respectively.

Leicester, a best-priced 7-2 with Betfred, kept themselves in the picture for a second successive promotion when triumphing 1-0 away to Reading on Monday, extending the home side’s winless run at the Madejski Stadium to 16 games.

However, it was a victory last year’s League One champions barely deserved and an improved performance will be required to upset an in-form Rangers.

The draw is top-priced at 13-5 with Stan James. The Times



Yahoo - Pearson Set to Keep the Faith: Leicester`s squad is unchanged for the trip to Loftus Road to face in-form QPR.

Bulgarian defender Aleksandar Tunchev remains the only absentee as he recovers from another knee operation.

Manager Nigel Pearson is unlikely to make too many changes to his starting line-up following Monday night`s 1-0 win over Reading.

After scoring the goals that saw City return to winning ways at home to Crystal Palace in the previous game, Paul Gallacher was recalled at the Madejski Stadium. The only other change against the Royals saw on loan striker Martyn Waghorn come into the side and the Sunderland teenager responded by netting the winning goal.

Following successive clean sheets, the defence is likely to remain the same so Bruno Berner and Michael Morrison look set for substitute roles once more.

At the other end of the pitch, Dany N`Guessan, Yann Kermorgant, Steve Howard and DJ Campbell provide the options should Pearson want to freshen up his attack. Yahoo


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