New update emerges on Steve Cook's situation at QPR | OneFootball

QPR give an update on Steve Cook's injury.

Queens Park Rangers have confirmed that Steve Cook has suffered a Plantar Fascia injury.

The Hoops have been in brilliant form since late November and are currently in the midst of a seven-game unbeaten run. This has seen victories over the likes of Norwich City and Preston North End and the 15 points they have accumulated has taken them from 24th to 14th place.

Now looking ahead rather than down, Marti Cifuentes will be keen for his side to push on and begin looking for a top-half-of-the-table finish.

Steve Cook injury latest

While Saturday's victory over PNE brought another valuable three points, it did come with some bad news as Cook had to be taken off after 24 minutes.

The 33-year-old has been a mainstay in QPR's side this season but will be out for the foreseeable, as confirmed by the London club.

Detailed in a post on their website, the R's state that a scan identified a Plantar Fascia injury. On a positive note, it also revealed that the issue does not require surgery.

At present, a specific recovery timeline cannot be given. However, after a period of rest, Cook will undergo a reassessment to determine the next steps and establish a clearer idea of how long he will remain sidelined.

This setback adds to an injury list that had been gradually decreasing. Currently, Karamoko Dembélé and Zan Celar are also unavailable, both having sustained long-term injuries earlier in the season.

In recent weeks, QPR have not only found the back of the net more frequently but have also developed a stronger defensive resilience, conceding just three goals in their last seven matches.

This has seen a partnership form at centre-back between Cook and Liam Morrison, with the latter being aided by his counterparts' experience.

While they do have cover in the form of Jake Clarke-Salter and Morgan Fox, not having their captain in the side will be a huge absence.

This season, as well as last, Cook has been a pillar of reliability, with his defensive metrics standing out across the board. He ranks in the top 15% of central defenders for duels won percentage and in the top 20% for tackles won percentage, displaying his crucial role in QPR's defensive setup.

Fox or Clarke-Salter will have to emulate this level of performance as if they fail to, then QPR could be in deep trouble all over again.