Eze part of Holloway’s plan for QPR revamp
Ian Holloway has insisted Eberechi Eze will definitely not be loaned out again by QPR this season.
The 19-year-old has impressed while on loan at Wycombe during the first half of the campaign and is in line to play for Rangers in Saturday’s FA Cup tie against MK Dons.
And Rangers manager Holloway says there is no chance of another loan deal being agreed for Eze later this month.
Holloway wants his team to play with two forwards in a number 10 role behind a main striker and sees the likes of Eze, Aramide Oteh, Bright Osayi-Samuel and Paul Smyth as potential options.
He asked Smyth and Luke Freeman to play just behind Matt Smith in the 2-1 victory over Cardiff on New Year’s Day.
Summer signing Smyth, 20, scored the winner in an impressive debut, while Eze has also been earmarked for a first-team place.
Holloway will this week tell a number of QPR players he wants them to leave in order to make room for the likes of Eze.
Holloway said: “He’s going to be back in my squad, so what I’ve got to do is try to clear a few situations so I can add him to that group. Definitely. I’m not letting him go back there (Wycombe).
“Particularly the way we played, with two number 10s, that would affect that.
“Where I want to go eventually, I can’t do it yet, but with the talents that we’ve got – (I want) two number 10s floating in and out.”
Trimming the tree
Eze, 19, was picked up by QPR in 2016, after being released by Holloway’s former club Millwall.
He has made one first-team appearances for the R’s, in the FA Cup against Blackburn a year ago, and has scored five goals in 21 League Two outings for Wycombe.
Holloway is keen to trim his squad this month, with the likes of Yeni Ngbakoto, Sean Goss and Ariel Borsyiuk surplus to requirements.
Rangers would also listen to offers for Idrissa Sylla, while Conor Washington’s future looks uncertain after he was recently left out of Holloway’s matchday squad altogether.
Ngbakoto looks very likely to leave, with clubs in Turkey and the winger’s native France showing an interest.
Holloway said: “We’ve got far too many players. We’ve got to try to move forward and sometimes you need the right freshness.
“Hopefully I can give people the right guidance on where they stand, because we are reshaping the tree of QPR.
“We’ve got some good young players here and my job is to try to trim down some of the tree.
“It’s about getting the balance right and also giving people some clarity.”
