Queens Park Rangers and Fulham meet in the FA Cup third round on Saturday afternoon with both clubs looking for a much-needed victory.
While the visitors have gone five games without success in the Premier League, QPR have recorded just one win in 12 fixtures in the Championship.
Match preview
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Having collected seven points from a six-game schedule which included Leicester City, Manchester City and Liverpool, Scott Parker will be content with how Fulham have performed in recent matches.
However, after fixtures with Tottenham Hotspur and Burnley were postponed, it remains to be seen whether the unexpected break and positive coronavirus cases will impact on their momentum.
Further down the line, the rest could work in Fulham's favour, but Parker must now weigh up the pros and cons of having to get his first-team players back up to speed.
Parker would have been planning to put out a second-string XI for this contest, something which will no longer occur given that it would leave key men without a game for nearly three weeks.
A balance will still need to be found, but the Cottagers boss will expect his squad to extend the club's recent upturn in form ahead of the upcoming derby with Chelsea.
Like the visitors, QPR are playing their first game of 2021, and the break would have been welcomed by Mark Warburton after eight fixtures in 29 days.
While just four points came from those encounters, QPR battled their way to an impressive point at Championship leaders Norwich City in their most recent contest.
The share of the spoils at Carrow Road was a welcome boost for Warburton, who finds himself under pressure with the club now sitting just above the relegation zone.
However, the 1-1 draw marked a ninth successive game where QPR have not conceded more than two goals, highlighting that responsibility should be on the team's attackers to lift the mood at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium.
Queens Park Rangers form (all competitions): DLDDLD
Fulham form (all competitions): WLDDDD
Team News
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While Parker is expected to name a strong Fulham side for this contest, there are likely to be a couple of alterations.
Second-choice goalkeeper Marek Rodak could replace Alphonse Areola between the sticks, with Tom Cairney and Aboubakar Kamara alternatives to Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa and Ademola Lookman further forward.
With Luton Town to come on Tuesday night, Warburton will make a number of changes to his QPR XI.
Macauley Bonne, Albert Adomah, Conor Masterson and Chris Willock are all in contention for a recall.
Queens Park Rangers possible starting lineup:
Dieng; Kane, Dickie, Masterson, Barbet, Hamalainen; Adomah, Ball, Carroll, Willock; Bonne
Fulham possible starting lineup:
Rodak; Odoi, Andersen, Adarabioyo; Decordova-Reid, Loftus-Cheek, Reed, Cairney, Robinson; Cavaleiro, Kamara
We say: Queens Park Rangers 1-3 Fulham
Despite the expected changes from both managers, we should still see an entertaining tussle between two motivated sides. However, the extra quality should come from the visitors, and it would come as a surprise if the Cottagers do not produce the goods in the final third.
