Hasselbaink sees no way back for Sandro at QPR

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink has told Sandro he is unlikely to play for QPR again – and believes the Brazilian is serious about finding a new club.

Rangers are keen to reduce their wage bill by offloading Sandro this summer.

However, he recently failed medical at Sporting Lisbon, vague interest from Russian club Rubin Kazan appears to have come to nothing, and he seems no closer to moving on.

QPR have struggled in recent years to convince some highly-paid players to go elsewhere. They now face the prospect of Sandro remaining on their books.

But manager Hasselbaink does not expect him to cling to his lucrative contract in west London if the chance to move comes his way.

“I don’t think so. I don’t think he’s that kind of person. I think he’s looking for something else,” Hasselbaink said.

“He sees himself as a Premier League player and he’s allowed to think that.”

Sandro moved to Loftus Road from Tottenham for £6m in September 2014.

He was plagued by knee problems prior to that transfer and has made just 28 league appearances for the R’s.

Pecking order

Having ended last season on loan at West Brom, Sandro has been training with QPR’s development side in recent weeks and Hasselbaink has no plans to recall him to the first-team squad.

Summer signings Jordan Cousins and Ariel Borysiuk are the Dutchman’s first-choice central midfielders.

Borysiuk has been sidelined by an ankle injury, but the likes of Karl Henry and Massimo Luongo are also ahead of Sandro in the pecking order.

“He’s still part of the club, so you never know, but I don’t think it’s going to be easy for him to play,” Hasselbaink said. 

“There are people in front of him. Jordan Cousins, Ariel, Karl, Massimo – they are all in front of him.”