George Thomas exclusive: QPR have a point to prove against Burnley | OneFootball

QPR midfielder George Thomas has backed his side to prove they can compete with the best in the Championship when league leaders Burnley visit Loftus Road on Sunday, speaking in an exclusive interview with Football League World.

The full second tier schedule returns this weekend after nearly a month without games due to the 2022 World Cup and the west Londoners are hoping to end the five-game winless run that saw them lose ground in the play-off race in November.

It’s been an eventful break for the R’s, with Mick Beale controversially leaving to take charge of Rangers and the search for his replacement underway, but their full focus is now on beating the Clarets on Sunday.

Speaking exclusively to FLW after completing the CopyBet Multi-Sport Challenge, Thomas revealed that the squad are excited about the return of Championship football and want to prove they can compete with the best the league has to offer when they host Burnley this weekend.

“Everyone feels refreshed I think,” said the 25-year-old. “The break came at a good time. Everyone had a bit of time off and recharged their batteries. We’ve come back in now and everyone seems really focussed. Training’s been good so everyone’s been looking forward to getting back out there on Sunday.

“We had a bit of a dip of form before the break and they’re a really good team, they’re doing really well, but we know we’re a good team as well and we’re looking forward to getting back out there and getting the three points at the end of the day.

He added: “It’s just another game. I don’t know about sending a message but it’s just important that we have a good team performance and then hopefully three points as well.

“The Championship is a really tough division. They’ve done really well, they’re up there at the minute and they’re playing some good football as well but as I said we’re also a good team.

“We’re looking forward to the game. It should be a good game and we can prove that we can compete against teams like that as well.”

The R’s are set to be boosted by the return of goalkeeper Seny Dieng after Senegal were knocked out of the 2022 World Cup by England on Sunday but Ilias Chair will not be available as Morocco take on Portugal in their quarter-final tomorrow.

“Those two, they’ve done really well to, first of all, get there,” said Thomas on the R’s World Cup representatives. “That’s some experience not many people can say they’ve been to the World Cup.

“Seny is coming back after the team has done really well. We’ll be supporting Ilias when he has his game as well and hopefully they can go through.

“As much as we want him back here, I’m sure we all want to go through with Morocco.”

The R’s sit sixth in the Championship as things stand but may find themselves outside of the play-off places when they kick off on Sunday as many of the teams around them play the day before.