QPR keen to 'focus on football'

Queens Park Rangers will let their football do the talking as they head across London to take on Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in tonight’s League Cup third round.

The R’s, who have hit the headlines for the wrong reasons in recent days due to co-owner Flavio Briatore’s ban from formula one, are fully focused on tonight’s clash.

Boss Jim Magilton told radio station BBC London: “We're all aware of what's happened and what is going on, but footballers are pretty selfish brutes and they tend to take care of their own business. Quite rightly, too.

'My job as a manager is to keep them focused on their jobs. The next job is Chelsea away and we'll all be concentrating on that.'

Buoyed by their 2-0 win over Cardiff at the weekend, the R’s are hoping to include Adel Taarabt in the starting XI following a bout of mumps.

However, the game comes too early for veteran defender Fitz Hall (groin), Angelo Balanta (ankle) and Matt Connolly (virus) while Wigan loanee Ben Watson is cup-tied.

Carlo Ancelotti’s Chelsea will look to make wholesale changes as they play their second London derby of the week.

Ancelotti will welcome back England international Joe Cole, who has been out since his cruciate ligament injury in January, while handing a debut to Russian midfielder Yury Zhirkov.

Assistant coach Ray Wilkins said: “We haven’t finalised the team yet but Joe Cole and Zhirkov will start, so that’s good news for all concerned.”

Missing from the Chelsea squad for the clash are in-form striker Dider Drogba, who was carried off at the weekend with severe cramp, and the rested duo of Ricardo Carvalho and Nicolas Anelka.