So, onto the teams. Garreth O'Connor could well be back in contention as part of Cotterill's rotation over Christmas system and considering his performance on Saturday. The Clarets will be sweating on the fitness of John McGreal who was substituted on Saturday after picking up a knock, and John Spicer is unlikely to figure after picking up a shin injury in the defeat at Norwich. As for QPR, Paul Furlong is expected to return after being rested for the win against Crewe, with either Shabazz Baidoo or Marc Nygaard expected to make way. Influential midfielder Marc Bircham is a doubt after limping off in the same game.

Let's not talk about the 3-0 defeat there last season, but a trip to Loftus Road will bring back fond memories for the Clarets that were there in the 2000/2001 season. The Clarets won the game courtesy of a second-half strike from John Mullin, a win that saw us occupy 6th position on what was a truly memorable day. The Burnley fans were certainly in fine form as The Springbok pub was taken over by the travelling Clarets who decided that not only would they occupy the inside of the pub but also the beer garden and the roof of the beer garden. Rocky, as you can imagine was in his element getting the songs going, conducting the Burnley fans from his roof-top position. The QPR fans must have wondered what had visited Shepherd's Bush that afternoon. The banter though was good and the QPR fans seemed to see the funny side of it all. God knows what the landlord thought!

With QPR picking up just two wins from their previous 6 home games, and the Clarets picking up just 4 points from a possible 18 since our win at Leicester in mid-October, this one could go either way. Let's hope we get something again from Loftus Road, so we can make up for the awful result against Sheffield Wednesday, and start as we mean to go on in 2006.

UP THE CLARETS