‘A chance’ Johansen could return for QPR against Preston

Stefan Johansen could return to the QPR squad this weekend, according to Mark Warburton.

The midfielder picked up a hamstring injury during the recent defeat at West Brom and missed Tuesday’s home win against Birmingham.

The problem does not appear to be overly serious and he is currently expected to be available for the game against his former club Fulham after the international break.

But manager Warburton says there is a chance that Johansen could be involved against Preston on Saturday.

Warburton said on Friday morning: “There’s a chance. We’ll see how he is this morning. We’ll see how he reports. But there is a chance.

“There is a break after this game and it’s not a cup final, so I’m not going to take unnecessary risks and potentially lose him for six to eight weeks.

“If he’s ready for tomorrow then great, but we’ll have to see how he is today.”

Having lost three consecutive league games, Rangers returned to winning ways by beating Birmingham 2-0.

A victory against Preston would send Warburton’s side into the international break with a healthy 18 points.

Winning without Johansen was a major boost given the captain’s obvious importance.

“It’s always a boost when you have players out and still get a result,” Warburton said.

“It shows the strength in depth of the squad. We haven’t got a big squad but we’ve got players who can play in a variety of positions.

“If he’s not fit then we’ve got players like Andre Dozzell, Luke Amos and George (Thomas) to step in without any fear or hesitation.”