QPR boss hopeful De Wijs will be fit for Coventry game

Mark Warburton is hopeful Jordy de Wijs will be available for QPR’s game against Coventry City this weekend.

The injury-prone defender was substituted at half-time against Barnsley on Saturday because of an ankle problem.

Manager Warburton said: “Hopefully it’s just bruising. He’ll be in (for training) and we’ll just see where we are for the weekend.

“We wanted to get to the international break and recharge. I hope very much we won’t have too many injuries at the weekend.”

Warburton has insisted he was not trying to prove a point by selecting just four substitutes for Tuesday’s Carabao Cup tie against Oxford United.

Youngsters Stephen Duke-McKenna, Ody Alfa and Joe Gubbins were the only outfield players on the bench – and all of them came on.

Such a move is often interpreted as a manager signalling to a club’s owners that more players are needed.

But Warburton says illness has affected a number of players.

Rangers youngsters were also involved in an Under-23 match hours before the Oxford game.

“There was no ‘statement’ going out. It’s not one of those ‘messages’ – far from it,” said Warburton.

“We had a bit of a sickness bug. We lost Sam (McCallum) and a few others.

“Charlie Austin played 90 minutes on Saturday and we had to look after him, and Jordy rolled the ankle on Saturday, so I had eight or nine missing.

“There was no ‘message’ or ‘statement’. There was just a very tough injury and illness situation.”