QPR’s Willock passed fit for West Brom game

Chris Willock has been passed fit for QPR’s game against promotion rivals West Brom. 

Willock has been nursing a knock and was not considered for Saturday’s FA Cup tie against Rotherham.

But he returned to training this week and been passed fit to play.

Boss Mark Warburton confirmed the outfield players involved in the hard-fought, penalty shoot-out success over the League One leaders came through unscathed and said Saturday’s encounter is one all his squad are desperate to play in – four of them were previously at West Brom.

Sam Field and Charlie Austin joined from the Baggies last year and Stefan Johansen and Willock both spent time on loan at The Hawthorns before arriving in W12 – although Willock did not make an appearance for the West Midlands club.

“Players want to play. I have had everyone banging on my door this week,” Warburton said.

“They are all saying ‘I’m ready to play’. I know they are ready to play, they are competitive animals and they want to perform.

“We always talk about having a squad to cope with the demands of this relentless division. But we can only name 11 players and only 14 can be involved and there are some really good players not getting enough pitch time.

“It is difficult, but all they can do is work hard every day. They have to realise that it’s a squad game and a player may come on in the 88th minute and score the winner or make a last-ditch tackle.

“It’s never about the individual, it’s about the collective.”

Warburton admitted he has spoken to forward Charlie Austin about his bizarre actions following his substitution against Rotherham.

Austin sat in the empty Ellerslie Road stand for 20 minutes before making his way to the sidelines.

Warburton said: “We have had private chats. He was sitting there in the stand freezing cold.

“But it has all been resolved. We all know what his club means to him.”