Queens Park Rangers manager Mark Warburton believes tonight's opponents Blackburn Rovers will pose his side a series of 'difficult questions', speaking to the club's media team ahead of their clash at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium.

The R's come into this tie having been hammered 4-1 at Craven Cottage against local rivals Fulham at the weekend, extending what has been a frustrating run of form, losing four league games out of their last six after a promising start to the 2021/22 campaign.

Conceding 20 goals in 12 Championship games this term, their defence has proved to be a real issue and an area to address coming into this tie, with Ben Brereton Diaz set to be available for their opponents as the Lancashire side's main goalscoring threat.

The Chile international has recorded a remarkable 10 goals in 12 second-tier displays so far this season, stepping up to the plate in the absence of last season's main stars Adam Armstrong and Harvey Elliott.

Rovers' recent form may be a real source of frustration for boss Tony Mowbray, going winless in their last three and dropping down to ninth place as a result, but they can still be dangerous and have the capability of taking all three points away from west London tonight.

Speaking ahead of this evening's tie about their opponents' capabilities, QPR manager Warburton said: "Blackburn have some very good players - [Ben] Brereton Diaz, [Joe] Rothwell and [Tyrhys] Dolan to name a few and if you are below your best, you will get hurt. We have to make sure that we will deliver a good performance.

"The margins are so fine in this league. Tony (Mowbray) has had to adapt, they have lost the likes of [Bradley] Dack and [Adam] Armstrong but his teams will always be superbly organised, hardworking and will certainly pose us with some difficult questions."

The Verdict:

Blackburn Rovers have been a surprisingly impressive side this season after losing two key players in Armstrong and Elliott, so Warburton is right to highlight their dangers and the threat they will bring despite their winless run.

However, what QPR need the most going into this tie is a bit of self-belief after a heavy loss against Fulham. There's no secret they crumbled and the players have reportedly been honest about that, but now is the time to convert this regret into positive energy in their quest to get their season back on track.

The R's were heavily fancied by many as a potential play-off contender at the start of this campaign after enjoying a strong second half to the 2020/21 season, but they can't afford to be inconsistent if they want to drag themselves back into the promotion mix.

The good news for the second-tier side is the fact they are only two points off sixth spot despite their recent form - and with many sides around them likely to endure rough patches at points throughout this campaign - a win tonight would go a long way in boosting their confidence and top-six hopes.

But their focus has to be on the short term, starting with tonight against Mowbray's men. A convincing result tonight would send out a statement of intent to the rest of the Championship.