Julien Stephan has had a better week than most managers heading to a ground like St Mary's. The QPR head coach is "quite positive" about his injuries, and the72 names three players he hopes to have back.
The three QPR returners
Ilias Chair is the headline name. He was sidelined after a slow start to the season, has resumed training and is expected to be involved, with two goals and an assist in six games so far.
Alfie Lloyd is in the same position. Boy Kemper, a left-back, missed early sessions this week, but Stephan says he "will be OK".
There are still gaps. Jake Clarke-Salter is in doubt after missing the 5-0 win over Swansea City, and Rumarn Burrell and Nicolas Madsen are still sidelined.
Dennis Cirkin is available again after serving a suspension. The Hard Tackle's preview adds that Karamoko Dembele is back from injury but is likely to start on the bench.
QPR sit eighth, level on points with Southampton, so Stephan has every reason to talk his squad up. They have not won any of their last four away games, though, and the 3-0 defeat at Birmingham City was the heaviest of them.
The Swansea win was a different story, a 5-0 home result that ended a run without a clean sheet. A squad coming back to full strength after that has reason to feel the week has turned.
What Eckert sees from the other dugout
Eckert is in the same business. He is "quite positive" that Cyle Larin and Flynn Downes will be fit, according to Saints Marching, although Larin's fitness record is why nobody is taking it for granted.
The Hard Tackle expects Lewis Dobbin to lead the line in a 4-2-3-1 with James Ward-Prowse and Caspar Jander in midfield. Dobbin scored the winner at West Ham, as Saints Marching's winners column records.
Both managers will make final calls closer to kick-off at 3pm. Until the team sheets are out, positivity is just a feeling.
Which QPR do Southampton get, then? If Chair and Lloyd start, a side that scored five last week arrives with its attack back together. If Kemper or Clarke-Salter drops out, Stephan has a defensive problem to fix on the road, where QPR have not won in four.
Southampton can afford to wait and see. Their home record is the best in the Championship, with 16 points from 18, so Stephan's good week is the visitors' problem to turn into something on the pitch.
Add us as a preferred source on Google