Queens Park Rangers manager Mark Warburton has revealed that he decided to substitute Sam McCallum in last Saturday's clash with Fulham as the defender was not fit enough to play a full game.
The 21-year-old managed to show some glimpses of promise on his return to action before being replaced by Jimmy Dunne in the 66th minute.
QPR went on to concede three goals after this change was made as Fulham sealed a 4-1 victory thanks to a brace from Aleksandar Mitrovic and strikes from Bobby Decordova-Reid and Antonee Robinson.
Since joining the Hoops on a season-long loan deal from Norwich City in the summer transfer window, McCallum has produced some eye-catching displays for his new club as he has helped them make a positive start to the 2021/22 campaign.
Forced to watch on from the sidelines in recent weeks after suffering a hamstring injury, the left-back will now be hoping to play a key role for QPR as they look to push on in the Championship.
Making reference to McCallum, Warburton has revealed that he had to make the decision to substitute him during what was a crucial stage of the game.
Speaking to West London Sport, the QPR boss said: "I had to bring Sam off.
"I have read some ridiculous comments saying I should never have done so, but it was because he has been out for a number of weeks and the most we can get out of him was an hour.
"We had to make that change.
"Did it unsettle the team?
"Of course it did because we lost a natural left wing-back.
"I was just unfortunate that he and Lee Wallace were out at the same time, but you have to be careful.
"When boys have been out for a few weeks you can't just throw them back in, you have to ease them back in.
"We had to rush Sam back, but ideally we wanted to give him some B-team football first to get his minutes up."
The Verdict
Although it is fair to say that McCallum's substitution did play a role in QPR's recent defeat, Warburton will be looking at the bigger picture in relation to the defender's fitness.
If the former Coventry City man had suffered another injury setback in this fixture, the Hoops may have gone on to struggle in his absence in their upcoming fixtures.
Having emerged unscathed from the club's clash with Fulham, McCallum could now potentially play a key role for QPR as they look to get back to winning ways in the Championship tomorrow when they face Blackburn Rovers.
When you consider that McCallum has scored two goals for the Hoops in five league appearances this season, it wouldn't be at all surprising if he makes a positive impact in an attacking sense from his wing-back role at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium on Tuesday.