QPR welcome back Dexter Blackstock and Daniel Nardiello for the home clash with Cardiff.
The forward pair were left out of the midweek Carling Cup 1st round defeat by Leyton Orient due to respective hamstring and back problems, however Rangers manager John Gregory expects them to recover in time for the visit of Dave Jones' men.
Gregory will also have Hogan Ephraim available again after the midfielder was denied permission to play against Orient under the terms of his loan deal from West Ham.
Defenders Marcus Bignot and Danny Cullip returned from injury for the Orient game, however it remains to be seen whether either player retains his place after the disappointing 2-1 home reverse against the League One side.
On-loan Chelsea forward Ben Sahar is still recuperating after an appendectomy, whilst defender Pat Kanyuka (thigh), winger Gareth Ainsworth (ankle) and forward Ray Jones (foot) remain sidelined.
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink will play no part in Cardiff's trip to the capital.
The former Leeds, Chelsea and Boro forward, 35, was tipped to join Cardiff's Coca-Cola Championship rivals Leicester.
But he opted to join the Bluebirds Thursday, even though he will not join up with his new team mates until Monday.
Hasselbaink's arrival is a boost to Dave Jones' men, who are still without Robbie Fowler as the former Liverpool forward battles to return to fitness.
The Bluebirds are still missing midfielder Riccardo Scimeca and forward Steve Thompson due to injury however Jones has no other injury or suspension concerns as his side go in their pursuit of their 1st points of the new season.
14 08 2007
Israel coach Dror Kashtan has named a strong 21 man team to face Belarus in a friendly international in Minsk on August 22, their last preparation match before next month's Euro 2008 Group E qualifier in England.
Most of the players available in major European leagues were named, that included Chelsea central defender Tal Ben Haim, Liverpool midfielder Yossi Benayoun, Deportivo Coruna goalie Dudu Aouate and forward Pini Balili of Turkey's Sivasspor.
However, Queens Park Rangers forward Ben Sahar, who is on loan from Chelsea, will miss the game and is also doubtful to face England at Wembley on September 8 following a recent appendix operation.
Maccabi Haifa midfielder Lior Refaelov, previously named in the team however still uncapped, has also been included.
Squad:
Goalkeepers, Dudu Aouate (Deportivo Coruna), Nir Davidovich (Maccabi Haifa)
Defenders, Tal Ben Haim (Chelsea), Yoav Ziv (Beitar Jerusalem), Dedi Ben Dayan (Maccabi Netanya), Shimon Gershon, Arik Benado (both Beitar Jerusalem), Yuval Shpungin (Maccabi Tel Aviv), Eyal Meshumar (Maccabi Haifa)
Midfielders, Yossi Benayoun (Liverpool), Walid Badir (Hapoel Tel Aviv), Gal Alberman (Beitar Jerusalem), Idan Tal (Beitar Jerusalem), Lior Refaelov (Maccabi Haifa), Salim Toema (Standard Liege)
Loan Ranger Ben Sahar faces up to 6 weeks on the sidelines after undergoing appendix surgery last week.
The Chelsea youngster missed yesterday's 2-2 opening day draw at Bristol City due to the setback and he could not feature now until the end of September.
R's manager John Gregory informed the club's website, "It is a blow, however his health is the most important thing. He's got lots of games and a good future ahead of him and I am looking forward to welcoming him back on the training ground in the not too distant future."
Sahar said his arrival at QPR with a brace in a 2-1 pre season triumph over Fulham at Loftus Road.
09 08 2007
QPR have agreed a deal to keep on-loan Chelsea forward Ben Sahar at the club until January 2.
Sahar had joined Rangers initially on a short term basis, however the Premier League club have now allowed the 17 year old Israeli to remain at Loftus Road until the end of 2007.
Rangers manager John Gregory said, "It is rather longer than we had 1st anticipated, however we are delighted that Chelsea have given us permission to keep him until then. He has already shown us glimpses of his possible in 2 pre season friendlies, and now we are only looking for him to show his goalscoring prowess in the Championship itself."
26 07 2007
Queens Park Rangers have agreed a deal with Chelsea for Ben Sahar.
Rangers have lined up a transfer to take the highly rated forward to Loftus Road on loan.
Sahar is highly-regarded at Chelsea and he made his Premier League debut last January against Wigan.
Blues manager Jose Mourinho is willing to loan the 17 year old out so that he gain valuable 1st team experience.
Sahar expects to join Rangers on loan until January with Chelsea having a recall option in the deal.
14 06 2007
10 man Belgium had taken a major step towards the UEFA European U21 Championship semi-finals by triumphing over Group A rivals Israel 1-0 through Kevin Mirallas's 82nd minute goal.
Mirallas's winning strike in Heerenveen capped an inspirational display of front running from the LOSC Lille Metropole forward in a Belgium team who played for 72 minutes with 10 men following Marouane Fellaini's early sending-off. For Israel, this 2nd successive 1-0 defeat brings elimination and how they will rue their failure to capitalise on the extra man advantage.
If Belgium were unchanged following their impressive showing against Portugal, Israel coach Guy Levy responded to his side's defeat by the Netherlands by making 4 changes, among them the introduction of the influential Idan Srur to make the play behind a forward line now that included Shlomi Arbeitman alongside Ben Sahar and Barak Itzhaki. Levy had spelt out his wish to see more attacking ambition from his players yet in the opening stages they were on the back foot.
Mirallas served an early warning after 8 minutes with a shot from outside the box that forced Tom Al Madon into a fingertip save. Sixty seconds later the Israel goal came under threat again, Sebastien Pocognoli picking out Fellaini with his cross however the Belgium midfielder failed to make a clean contact with the ball. If Belgium looked untroubled, that changed on 18 minutes with Fellaini's dismissal. Eliran Danin went to ground under his challenge and the midfielder, already cautioned for fouling Sahar, was sent off.
Logan Bailly had to turn behind Srur's ensuing free kick and it then had taken a sliding challenge from Pocognoli to deny Arbeitman a clean strike after the skilful Sahar had played his colleague in. Given Belgium's requirement for the points, however, coach Jean-Francois De Sart gambled on keeping his front players on, leaving Jan Vertonghen to do double the covering work in front of the back four.
Although Anthony Vanden Borre spurned a shooting chance on 26 minutes, Israel now carried the greater menace albeit without really stretching the 10 men. Itzhaki sent a drive just over however it was not until the half's closing moments that they really threatened. After Bailly had inadvertently collected a back-pass, Srur's short free kick teed up Itzhaki however he blasted over. Then Sahar broke through on a one-two with Srur only to see his goalbound effort blocked by Nicolas Lombaerts.
Into the 2nd half and Sahar was in his stride, flashing a shot narrowly wide and troubling the Diablotins' defence with his elusive movement down the left. One lovely flick sent him racing clear of Sepp De Roover and bearing down on Bailly. He squared the ball to Albeitman but, with the goal gaping, the forward was foiled by Thomas Vermaelen's block. At the other end, Mirallas raised Belgian expects with a run through the middle stopped only by Amir Taga's saving tackle and shortly after the hour, Blondel was only a whisker wide with an acrobatic volley.
Although Sahar hit the post from an offside position, Belgium's 10 men were now looking the likelier scorers. Blondel lashed another volley into the side-netting before, on 80 minutes, Mirallas struck the woodwork. The No9 would not be denied, however. Sprinting on to Vanden Borre's diagonal pass ahead of Dekel Keinan, he beat Al Madon with a low shot for the only goal.
11 06 2007
Holland got the defence of their UEFA European U21 Championship title off to a winning start with a 1-0 win against Israel in Heerenveen.
Hedwiges Maduro tapped in the only goal in the tenth minute as the hosts picked up from where they left off in Portugal 12 months ago with a dominant performance.
However, Israel had their chances, with Chelsea's Ben Sahar wasting a chance to equalise in the 1st half when, unmarked, he shot wide from 15 yards.
A minute after the restart Sahar was in the action again, however he shot straight at Boy Waterman.
The other game tonight saw the other Group A teams, Portugal and Belgium, share a goalless draw in Groningen.
The Group A action continues Tuesday, with Holland taking on Portugal, whilst Israel play Belgium.
