Boss Jim Magilton is yet to decide whether to give youngster Jordan Rhodes his first Town start when the Blues face QPR at Portman Road on Saturday. Pablo Couñago begins his three-match ban for last week's red card, while Jon Walters is recovering from knee surgery and Shefki Kuqi is a doubt due to his hamstring injury.

Rhodes has so far made four late sub appearances for the Blues but is in with a chance of his full Town debut in the absence of Couñago, Walters, the on-loan Billy Clarke and probably Kuqi.

Boss Jim Magilton says the prolific striker is very much in his plans: "Jordan deserves his chance as when he has come on as substitute he has shown great maturity - and we know he can score goals. But whether he is involved tomorrow we will see.”

The 18-year-old striker's record at all levels this season makes impressive reading. His loan spell at Oxford United yielded his first two FA Cup goals, while for the reserves he has netted 21 times in the league, including six in the 12-1 victory over the MK Dons, as well as another six in the regular friendlies the second string have played this season.

For the U18s he has scored 11 times, while another 15 can be added from games during pre-season, making a grand total of 55.

Shefki Kuqi would have been Couñago's likely replacement but for the hamstring problem which ended his second debut for the Blues against Charlton a fortnight ago. The on-loan Palace man will be assessed later today but is considered a big doubt.

Danny Haynes is another striking option available to Magilton and may be pushed forward from midfield, while Gary Roberts was used as a striker at Blackpool earlier in the season and played much of his football for Accrington as an attacker.

Dean Bowditch, scorer of a first half hat-trick for the reserves against Stevenage Borough earlier in the week, limped off at half-time in that game with a recurrence of the groin injury which curtailed his loan spell at Brighton.

New loan signing Danny Simpson is expected to make his first Town start at right-back, which is likely to see Sito drop out of the side with David Wright moving to left-back.

Richard Naylor's neck injury means Jason De Vos and Alex Bruce will continue at the centre of the defence.

Alan Quinn, proving to be the most consistent of Town's January signings, is likely to start on the left of midfield with Owen Garvan and Velice Sumulikoski in the centre. David Norris looks likely to miss out due to his heel injury, so Danny Haynes will probably continue on the right of midfield rather than returning to the attack.

Aside from the signing of Simpson, the Blues failed to add to their squad before Thursday's deadline with David Healy seemingly a longer term target. Magilton says it is now up to his existing players to win a top six place: "The deadline has gone and we move on. It's now down to the players here to finish the job they started and I have every confidence in them achieving that.

"My players have been fantastic this year. Every time a challenge has been thrown at them they have taken it on. Now the biggest challenge for them is there - to finish in the top six and see where it takes us.

"We are in a terrific position and now we have seven massive games coming up, seven games we are all relishing."

QPR, like Town suddenly in the money after years of struggle, are currently in 14th place and sit seven points from the play-offs, which suggests new owners Bernie Ecclestone, Flavio Briatore and Lakshmi Mittal are likely to have to wait until next year at best before their millions help propel their club into the Premier League.

Manager Luigi De Canio has virtually a full squad to pick from with striker Hogan Ephraim returning from suspension. Defender Damien Delaney is the only absentee as he starts a two-match ban for amassing 10 bookings.

Town have had the better of Rangers over the years, winning 24 times (22 in the league), drawing on 17 (16) occasions and losing 21 (19) games between the sides.

Issue 91 of TWTD, featuring an interview with chief executive Derek Bowden, will be from our sellers around Portman Road (by Sir Alf, next to the Portman Road entrance to the Greene King Stand, by Planet Blue) ahead of kick-off.

If you can't make the game, you can purchase a single copy or six-issue subscription here and have TWTD delivered to your door.

Also in this issue, Gavin Barber uncovers more of Richard Scudamore's plans for the Premier League, the new signings are assessed, there's a feature on following lower league German football and specifically Union Berlin, advice to a newborn Town fan, a piece on women and football and much more.

The ClubFanzine QPR site is the excellent Loft for Words, which can be found here.

Saturday's referee is Paul Armstrong from Berkshire, who has shown 21 yellow cards and one red in only 12 games so far this season. Armstrong's last Town game was a 3-1 defeat at Millwall in December 2004 in which Shefki Kuqi scored the Blues' goal and was the only Town player booked.

Likely squad: Bywater, Colgan, Simpson, Wright, Sito, Harding, De Vos, Bruce, Wilnis, Garvan, Sumulikoski, Quinn, Haynes, Trotter, Williams, Roberts, Lee, Rhodes.

Photo: Action Images

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