QPR boss determined to avoid another Clarke-Salter setback

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Marti Cifuentes says Morgan Fox played against Portsmouth because QPR do not want to risk Jake Clarke-Salter suffering another injury setback.

Key defender Clarke-Salter was sidelined prior to the recent international break with a calf problem which has previously recurred, causing him to spend lengthy spells out of action.

He was therefore left out of the starting line-up for Saturday’s game at Loftus Road, where Rangers lost 2-1, leaving them bottom of the table.


Fox was selected instead – his first start of the season – but has had his own fitness issues, having only recently returned from injury.

And an apparent lack of sharpness was evident as errors by Fox led to both Portsmouth’s goals.

Head coach Cifuentes explained: “We tried to work a lot with him (Fox) during the international break in order to get him ready for this one because we knew that Jake was on the edge to be ready for this game.

“The last experience with exactly the same injury with Jake, I don’t know if we rushed too much, but the reality is that he had a setback.

“So we wanted to take the best decision in order to manage the squad in the best way.

“I take full responsibility. If Fox didn’t perform well it is because the manager didn’t prepare him well enough.”

Fox gave the ball away in the build-up to Freddie Potts equalising after Karamoko Dembele’s opener.

And he gave away a second-half penalty by hacking down Callum Lang, who tucked away the resulting spot-kick.

But Cifuentes insisted: “I trust Fox. I trust him a lot. He was very important for us last season, a brilliant professional.

“He will not be happy and I am not a guy who will come in here pointing. I can make better decisions. I take responsibility.

“He is a fantastic professional and I am sure that he will show it in the next games.”