Queens Park Rangers have had a solid start to the 2026/27 Championship campaign, and there is a real feeling around Loftus Road right now that the R's can go on to achieve something special this year.

After a debut season full of mixed emotions for Julien Stephan, despite a lack of funds, the French boss has gone from strength to strength in West London.

Boy Kemper, Tariq Lamptey, and Dennis Cirkin arrived on free transfers, whilst Pierce Charles and Glen Kamara joined on loan, as QPR enjoyed a savvy summer which is paying dividends on the pitch.

A 5-0 home thumping of Swansea City in their most recent outing has only helped to increase spirits around the place, and as the R's prepare for another tough clash this weekend when they travel to Southampton, Stephan has revealed a major injury boost.

Queens Park Rangers receive Ilias Chair boost ahead of Southampton clash

Ahead of their travels to St Mary's, QPR have received a positive injury update on Moroccan winger Ilias Chair, with the 28-year-old potentially available for the trip to Hampshire this weekend, having been out of action since the beginning of September.

Chair joined QPR in January 2017, and has since gone on to make 286 appearances for the R's across all competitions, though has struggled with injury woes for much of the past couple of years.

Limited to just 15 league appearances last season and 28 the year before that, it hasn't been an especially positive period in Chair's career, but he will hope to have put these woes behind him now, as Stephan keeps his fingers crossed he can be involved on Saturday.

Football League World's QPR fan pundit, Louis Moir, has shared their thoughts on Chair's potential return to the squad, and whether Saturday's opponents, Southampton, should be fearing the Moroccan.

Louis said: "Chair being back fit is quite a massive boost for us. I mean, even if he's fully fit to play, I wouldn't start him because the way we're playing at the minute, I think it'd be harsh to drop anyone for him. I think he'll have to work his way back into the side, but just having him fit and available as an option on the bench would be great. So I'm hoping to see him involved.

"Southampton - I don't think it's just Chair that they can potentially fear. I think it's just the whole group at the moment. If you look at recent records, in recent years against Southampton, they've beaten us a lot. They've scored a few goals against us, but this year's different, and I don't think they'll be super comfortable knowing that we're visiting them.

"We're not going to be pushovers, so I think they should fear us. They're one of the best sides in the league. That's a fact, but so are we. We've shown that this season, and we're not here to mess around. Bring them on, and I'm sure that they're going to be well up for us, and they're going to be well-prepared as well. It should be a good game, and I think it's a big test for both sides.

"I think with Chair potentially back, the way we're playing, Kone coming off the back of a hat-trick, Paul Smyth continuing his good form, we're going to Southampton with a chance.

"So, as I say, bring them on, and I think we have got to go there with confidence and try and rattle them because you don't want to go there and give them too much respect. And then if we do that, you never know what could happen, because they'll definitely be fearing us as well; that's for sure."

What do you make of Louis' take on the upcoming Southampton fixture? Should the Saints fear Chair, the whole QPR squad, or nobody at all? Share your thoughts below!

Julien Stephan will hope Ilias Chair can fire Queens Park Rangers to the Premier League upon his return to fitness

After a lengthy battle with injuries, it appears as though Chair is finally ready to return to the QPR side and fight for his place.

Few could deny that, on his day, Chair is still one of the best wide players in the Championship, though whether he can consistently produce game-changing performances at this stage remains to be seen.

With Paul Smyth, Koki Saito, Kwame Poku, and Karamoko Dembele each competing for minutes alongside Chair, his place in the side is not automatically guaranteed, as Stephan will hope to get the best out of Chair by allowing him to fight for his minutes, as he hopes to see the Moroccan at St Mary's this Saturday.