Queens Park Rangers pose goal threat says Preston North End boss Alex Neil

The West London side are the third highest scorers in the Championship with 55 goals in their 36 matches.

West Bromwich (64) and Brentford (59) are the two teams to out-score them.

Former North End striker Jordan Hugill and midfield playmaker Eberechi Eze have both netted 11 league goals.

Nahki Wells had struck 13 before his loan spell was cut short by Burnley in January in order for him to be sold to Bristol City.

It looks unlikely then, that QPR will sit behind the ball against PNE tomorrow, in the manner Millwall and Hull City did in the last two matches at Deepdale.

North End boss Alex Neil said: “I think QPR are a really dangerous side and have got a lot of good players.

“The boy Eze has had a really terrific season and Bright Osayi-Samuel on the right has done great for them.

“I saw him when he was at Blackpool and he has come on leaps and bounds.

“Jordan Hugill we know about, he’s a threat and is in double figures of goals.

“Ryan Manning is a good young player coming through and I think QPR have been exciting this season.”

This will be Hugill’s second return to Deepdale since his £9.5m sale to West Ham in January 2018.

The Hammers loaned him to Middlesbrough last season and the striker played in their 1-1 draw.

It was QPR who moved for his services on loan this season and the move across London is one Hugill seems to have enjoyed.

Neil had half a season working with Hugill before West Ham came knocking.

He is someone Neil has a lot of time for, both as a player and a person.

“Jordan was great for us,” said Neil. “He had scored 
11 goals or so when we sold 
him that January – he was shaping up that season to hit 15 or 16 goals, maybe even 
18.”

With his West Ham contract running until June 2021, it will be interesting to see what Hugill does next in the summer.

Although David Moyes is back with the Hammers – it was Moyes who signed him – first-team opportunities would likely to be limited.

So a third loan or a move could be on the cards.

Another player with PNE connections in the QPR team is Todd Kane.

The right-back had a spell on loan at Deepdale from Chelsea between November 2012 and January 2013.

It was his first taste of senior football and Kane went on to serve seven more clubs on loan before cutting his ties with Chelsea last summer to sign for QPR.

QPR head to Lancashire unbeaten in five games – two wins and three draws.

Last Saturday they drew 2-2 with Birmingham City at home, Marc Pugh and Hugill on target. Before the unbeaten run they had lost four out of five in the league.