Queens Park Rangers manager Julien Stephan has laid out his aims and expectations for the remainder of the season ahead of this Saturday’s London derby against Millwall.
Last match day saw the points shared at Loftus Road following a 0-0 draw against Bristol City, leaving both the R’s and the Robins level on points with 58, sitting in 11th and 10th place respectively in the Championship table.
This result extended QPR’s unbeaten run to five matches, but the game was a classic display of on the beach, nothing to play for football, as both teams sit comfortably in mid-table.
However, ahead of Saturday’s match away to Millwall at The Den, QPR manager Julien Stephan has assured that the team will still be aiming to finish as high as possible, whilst also using the remaining matches with a view to next season.
Speaking with the club, he said: “We try to have the best results possible, but as well to think about the future and to give minutes to give players that need them, even if they are not at 100%.”
This includes providing game time to players returning from injuries, and trialling young and development talents in the first-team squad.
Last Saturday’s match saw striker Rumarn Burrell return to the pitch as a substitute in his first appearance since picking up an injury in January’s victory over Sheffield United.
Ilias Chair and Ziyad Larkeche have also been teased to have returned to training having been plagued by injury this season.
The Hoops’s 16-year-old talent Leon Scarlett has appeared on the bench over the past couple of the games for the first time since joining the club’s Development Squad from Arsenal in January 2025, having impressed Stephan with his attitude.
“Of course he’s not completely ready to play for us, he’s only 16, but for me it was just a message to send to him that; continue like this, you are in the right way.”
It’s the early kick-off at 12:30pm for the Millwall v QPR London Derby this weekend, always a feisty, high-stakes game, but with extra pressure for the hosts as they fight for a place in the automatic play-off spots.
Millwall currently sit in third place on 73 points, just behind Ipswich Town on 75 points (and who have a game in hand), both in the scrap to secure automatic promotion, joined by Southampton and Middlesbrough.
Rangers will be looking to climb the table and extend their unbeaten run to six games. Sitting on 58 points after 42 games, this is their highest points total in the last four seasons.
