Football
QPR Boss Marti Cifuentes Says He Is “Very Concerned” About Ilias Chair’s Latest Injury Setback
Ben Horlock is a sports news and features writer who holds a degree in sports journalism (BA Hons) from Southampton Solent University. Ben has been published across a wide variety of news outlets and websites including HITC, 90min, GiveMeSport, Betfair and Zoo Magazine. As well, Ben has worked in social media for four years in the sports gambling industry. For his sins, Ben is a QPR fan and is a keen follower of all the major European football leagues.
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QPR manager Marti Cifuentes has explained that he is “very concerned” with the latest Ilias Chair injury update.
Chair had to be substituted during the Super Hoops 2-1 defeat to Middlesbrough on Tuesday. The Moroccan star appeared to tweak his hamstring and was replaced by Karamoko Dembele in the 55th minute.
During the 2024/25 campaign, Chair has missed a total of 12 games owing to injury concerns. He missed all of pre-season as well as the start of the season with a back problem.
In October, Chair entertained a knee injury which ruled him out of the fixtures against Leeds, Stoke, Cardiff, Watford and Norwich.
Now, it’s third time unlucky with his latest hamstring concern. It’s too early to confirm the severity of the newest setback but Rangers boss Cifuentes has opened up about his fears for his star player.
Defeat in Middlesbrough. pic.twitter.com/NCVjqJefER
— QPR FC (@QPR) March 11, 2025
Ilias Chair Injury Update Doesn’t Bode Well For QPR
“I’m very concerned. He felt his hamstring immediately and we have to do some tests, but usually these kind of situations it’s going to take some time, but we’ll do some scans and see what it is,” Cifuentes said.
Chair is QPR’s longest serving player amongst this season’s squad. The Moroccan star has made over 250 appearances since his debut in 2017.
On the pitch in 2024/25, Chair has just eight goal involvements to his name. The only time he got on the scoresheet was when he netted a fine brace in the 4-0 win over Derby on Valentine’s Day.
Of Rangers’ 11 wins this season, Chair has been absent for three of those victories which highlights how important he is for Cifuentes.
His injury has come at the worst possible time for the club. The West Londoners have endured four defeats from their last four outings. The next game comes against Premier League hopefuls Leeds on Saturday.
Ahead of the clash at Loftus Road, the best football betting sites in the UK have all the latest prices. The Whites can be backed at 8/15 with QPR 11/2.