QPR striker blow is seriously frustrating for everyone | OneFootball

Zan Celar has suffered an injury just as it looked like he was finding form at QPR

QPR have been dealt a blow with the news that striker Zan Celar will be out for an unspecified "period of time" because of a hamstring injury.

The Slovenian international was forced off after just 13 minutes of QPR's win over Norwich City on the weekend, far from ideal when you consider the Hoops face a busy festive period which will prove crucial when it comes to retaining their Championship status.

Celar made a slow start to life in the Championship after joining QPR from Swiss side Lugano in the summer, and news of his injury will be seriously frustrating for everyone at the club as it looked as if he'd turned a corner with his performances in recent weeks.

Zan Celar blow will be seriously frustrating for everyone at QPR

To say that Celar didn't have a great start to life at Loftus Road would be an understatement, and he failed to find the back of the net in his first 16 appearances for the Hoops, which included a penalty miss in their 1-1 draw with Stoke City.

Many supporters were beginning to think that the Slovenian wasn't good enough for the Championship after his struggles in front of goal, but a brace in a crucial 2-0 win against Cardiff City, with two excellent finishes, showed that he certainly has something about him.

That's why it's such a blow for the Hoops to lose Celar for a sustained period of time, just as he was beginning to show what he was capable of and beginning to find his feet in the Championship.

It remains to be seen just how long the 25-year-old will be out of action for, but it doesn't appear to be a short-term injury.

A statement from QPR's official website said: "Unfortunately, Žan Celar faces a period of time on the sidelines following a hamstring injury sustained against the Canaries.

"The Performance Services department are currently working through early medical processes to ensure he is on the correct rehabilitation path and a further update on his timelines will be provided in due course."

Marti Cifuentes will be cursing his luck that just as things were beginning to click for Celar, he's been ruled out injured, and while QPR have been in improved form recently, news of his absence is a big blow in terms of their survival hopes.

Celar was a prolific goalscorer at Lugano, and everybody at Loftus Road would have been hoping that the brace at Cardiff would have kickstarted his QPR career, so news of his injury would be hugely frustrating.

Michael Frey's return will be a timely boost for QPR in wake of Zan Celar news

While news of Celar's injury is a huge blow, the same injury update stated that Michael Frey would return to the Hoops' matchday squad before the festive period.

This is a huge boost for the Hoops given Celar's injury, and after a decent start to the season which saw him score four goals in 11 appearances, supporters will hope that Frey can return to form.

Similarly to Celar, Frey endured a tough start to life after joining QPR from Royal Antwerp in January, but he showed in the early weeks of the current campaign that he's starting to get to grips with the Championship and score goals at this level.

QPR look to have started to turn things around now after a poor start to the season, and Cifuentes will hope that Celar's absence doesn't hurt them too much.