‘It’s difficult’ – QPR star suffers recurring injury and will miss Derby County clash
Marti Cifuentes played Jimmy Dunne in his natural centre-back position against Hull City with Clarke-Salter missing out.
QPR will be without star defender Jake Clarke-Salter for the trip to Derby County after the 27-year-old was absent from the R’s squad once again to face Hull City on Tuesday night.
The former Chelsea man is a mainstay in Marti Cifuentes’ starting XI but has now been absent from two Championship outings in a row, having not made the squad for the 2-0 defeat against Blackburn Rovers either. Jimmy Dunne returned to centre-back against the Tigers midweek, with Hevertton Santos deployed at full-back, but Clarke-Salter was missed as QPR fell to a 3-1 home defeat.
Clarke-Salter suffers soleus injury
The defender had also missed out on the trip to Sheffield Wednesday last month, having made 33 Championship appearances last term. Speaking in his post-match press conference at Loftus Road on Tuesday, Cifuentes said: “He picked up an injury in the same zone and won’t be available against Derby County. That’s my hope [he returns after the international break]. This soleus muscle is always a bit difficult. Unfortunately, it’s exactly the same zone, the same injury.”
