Football | Barclays Premier League
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Harry Redknapp has urged the Queens Park Rangers faithful to roar his side to victory against Aston Villa on Monday.
QPR are bottom of the Barclays Premier League with four points from eight matches on their return to the top flight. Last season's Championship play-off winners came agonisingly close to adding to that points tally last Sunday against Liverpool, when they twice drew level in the closing stages before being consigned to a 3-2 defeat.
But Redknapp was keen to take positives from the performance, as well as the role played by Rangers' vocal home support.
"I've been pleased with our home form," Redknapp told qpr.co.uk. "We were excellent against Liverpool and we'll need another performance like that again against Villa on Monday.
"The quality and the spirit we showed on Sunday was excellent from the first minute. The fans were bouncing, Loftus Road was loud - and we need that again on Monday under the lights. I'm still confident we will be fine this season."
QPR revealed that Adel Taarabt will miss out against Villa due to a bout of illness, while fellow midfielders Joey Barton and Jordon Mutch continue their recovery from hamstring injuries. Sandro could bolster Redknapp's options in the middle of the park if he is able to overcome a groin problem and defender Nedum Onuoha (hamstring) is also in line for a late fitness test.
Villa manager Paul Lambert must run the rule over defensive duo Philippe Senderos (thigh) and Nathan Baker (hamstring), while the Scot has pressing issues of a different nature at the other end of the pitch. Following an impressive start to the campaign, Villa are looking to end a sequence of four consecutive losses, a dismal run in which they have failed to score a single goal.
Former Chelsea and England midfielder Joe Cole made his Barclays Premier League debut for Villa from the bench in the closing stages of last weekend's 3-0 loss at Everton. Cole joined Villa on a free transfer during the close season and although fitness issues initially hindered his progress, Lambert is delighted with the application shown by a player he believes can supply a much-needed creative spark.
"We've got a really good player, someone who can unlock things,” Lambert told avfc.co.uk. “He's getting up to speed. "He's been good as gold. He's a great trainer, he does extra work after training so he's been good, really good. He's done great in training and he's great about the place. I think he can certainly create things for us."
Villa will be without Fabian Delph after Lambert confirmed the England midfielder's rehabilitation from surgery on a dislocated shoulder will rule him out for the rest of the year.
QPR (from): Green, McCarthy, Murphy, Caulker, Dunne, Ehmer, Ferdinand, Hill, Isla, Onuoha, Traore, Yun, Fer, Henry, Hoilett, Kranjcar, Phillips, Sandro, Wright-Phillips, Austin, Vargas, Zamora.
Aston Villa (from): Given, Guzan, Bacuna, Baker, Clark, Herd, Hutton, Lowton, Okore, Senderos, Vlaar, Cleverley, Cole, Grealish, N'Zogbia, Richardson, Sanchez, Westwood, Agbonlahor, Bent, Benteke, Burke, Weimann.
Source: PremierLeague.com
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