QPR defender Fox picks up knee injury
QPR are assessing a knee injury Morgan Fox picked up during the opening stages against Coventry.
The defender was replaced by Jake Clarke-Salter and is not expected to be available for the midweek trip to Leeds. He also currently looks doubtful for next Saturday’s home match against Blackburn.
Rangers do have alternative options, with Clarke-Salter having featured, Jimmy Dunne fit again after injury and new signing Reggie Cannon having arrived.
Boss Gareth Ainsworth said: “It was difficult to lose Morgan. He’s been an outstanding performer in defence. But it’s opportunities for other people now.
“He landed funny on his knee and we’re going to look at that, but I don’t envisage he’ll be back for this week. We’ll have to be careful with that one.”
Ainsworth bemoaned two key refereeing decisions going against his side in their 3-1 home defeat.
He felt Ellis Simms’ opening goal should have been disallowed for offside.
And shortly after the Sky Blues’ second goal, Rangers were incensed when they were not awarded a penalty despite Sinclair Armstrong being upended by keeper Ben Wilson.
Ainsworth said: “The officiating today, in my opinion, wasn’t good enough for the Championship. There was an offside goal and an absolute stonewall penalty.
“I’ve been in to see the officials and they know (the decisions were wrong). They’ve almost apologised and that’s great, but that doesn’t change the result.
“I’m gutted at my lads seeming to collapse. Maybe the offside goal really dented them, but we were then wide open on two counter-attacks for the other two goals.
“But at 2-0, Sinclair’s penalty is a stonewaller and if that gets us back in the game then I think we go on and get something.”
Rangers, who were among the pre-season favourites for relegation, have won just once at home in almost a year.
Ainsworth has faced criticism and his team are in the drop zone after nine matches.
They were denied a first-half lead by Wilson superbly keeping out Lyndon Dykes’ header, but conceded three times in the space of 12 minutes after the interval.
Kenneth Paal netted a consolation in stoppage time – the wing-back’s third goal of the season, making him Rangers’ top scorer.
“I’m not stupid – a 3-1 defeat at home is not good enough. I’m sure the haters will be out there loving this one, but there’s a bit more of a story to it,” Ainsworth said.
“But we’ve got to be better at home. We’ve got to put away the chances that we had in the first half.
“We were the better team in the first half and for all the world I didn’t see that coming in the second half. But we have to test their keeper more.
“We haven’t looked threatening enough. After all the territory and all the possession we must be better than that going forward.
“We didn’t take our chances and that was the story of the game, although the officials played a big part too.”
