Half-time: QPR 0 Blackburn 1
Shane Duffy’s 14th-minute goal put Blackburn ahead at Loftus Road.
Keeper Alex Smithies, making his full league debut for QPR, spilled Craig Conway’s left-wing free-kick at the far post and felt he was fouled by Duffy, who tapped into an unguarded net.
Blackburn had been dealt an early blow when left-back Tommy Spurr was poleaxed as he defended a second-minute corner and was eventually taken off on a stretcher after six minutes of being attended to on the pitch.
Rangers have struggled to create openings but Tjaronn Chery missed a great chance to equalise shortly before half-time when he headed Charlie Austin’s dinked cross over from six yards out.
And Smithies then produced a point-blank save to deny Jordan Rhodes after Spurr’s replacement, Markus Olsson, had found space in the area and pulled the ball back from the left.
The inclusion of Smithies, who replaced the suspended Rob Green, was the only change to the hosts’ starting line-up from Saturday’s home defeat against Nottingham Forest.
Alejandro Faurlin and Jamie Mackie returned to the QPR squad after their respective injuries and are on the bench.
Subs: Lumley, Hall, Hill, Doughty, Faurlin, Mackie, Gladwin.