Queens Park Rangers, the Championship leaders, host Bolton Wanderers on Saturday, 22 August 2026, at Loftus Road, with both sides aiming to back up their opening day wins.
What happened?
The two teams had contrasting pre-seasons, but both started the Championship campaign with wins, Queens Park Rangers beating Portsmouth 3-1 and Bolton Wanderers defeating Preston North End 2-1.
Why it matters for Queens Park Rangers
A win would move Queens Park Rangers to six points and strengthen their grip on top spot, while Bolton Wanderers would also reach six points with victory and could climb towards the automatic promotion places.
What comes next?
Queens Park Rangers could look to punch through the middle and from wide supply, having scored three goals from inside the box against Portsmouth, with Illias Chair leading the league scoring chart with two goals, while Koki Saito also opened his account. Bolton Wanderers may try to control the ball, having had 54% possession and 15 shots against Preston North End, with Sam Dalby and Thierry Gale on the scoresheet and John McAtee providing an assist. Team news shapes the options, with Queens Park Rangers without Boy Kemper, Nicolas Madsen, Karamoko Dembele, and Amadou Mbengue through injury, and Bolton Wanderers missing Ruben Rodrigues and Luca Stephenson due to injury, and Xavier Simons suspended. The recent league meetings between the two teams were tight, with two Queens Park Rangers wins, one for Bolton Wanderers, and one draw across the last four matches. Form points to an efficient home side and a lively visitor, with Queens Park Rangers scoring three goals from 11 attempts at Portsmouth and carrying strong pre-season momentum, while Bolton Wanderers created 15 shots against Preston North End after a mixed set of friendlies.
