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Apr 12, 2015 at 1.30pm UK
 
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Live Coverage: Chris Ramsey's weekly Queens Park Rangers press conference

Follow Sports Mole's live coverage of Queens Park Rangers' head coach Chris Ramsey's pre-match press conference ahead of the team's match against Chelsea.
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Chris Ramsey has said that his side is expecting the normal "hostilities" of a derby match when Queens Park Rangers host Chelsea in the Premier League this weekend.

QPR are in the relegation zone while Chelsea sit at the top of the table, but the hosts come into the match after picking up a win and a draw over the last week.

Ramsey also spoke about the history between John Terry and former QPR player Anton Ferdinand.

Read what the manager said below.


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Good morning! We'll be hearing from QPR head coach Chris Ramsey in around 15 minutes as he prepares his side for their third match in nine days as league leaders Chelsea visit Loftus Road on Sunday.

QPR should be feeling positive coming into this match. They ended a run of five straight defeats last weekend with an emphatic 4-1 win over West Bromwich Albion before sharing a 3-3 draw with Aston Villa on Tuesday, which has kept the side 18th in the table, but leaves them just two points adrift of Hull City.

Another boost for QPR comes in the form of some injury news as Richard Dunne has announced that he is ready to return after missing the last eight weeks with a knee injury. After playing with the Under-21s, the Irishman told the team's website: "It is always nice after an injury to just get back playing. It has been eight weeks since the injury, so it was good to get back and hopefully I will be involved with the first team soon. The knee was fine. I had to come off with blisters at the end as the pitch was so hard and it was so hot. That was the only reason I didn't finish the match, the knee felt fine."

QPR certainly don't have an easy run to the end of the season as they fight for a place in the top flight for another season. They have another London derby after this match with the visit of West Ham before back-to-back trips to Liverpool and Manchester City, as well as matches against Newcastle and Leicester.

As always, we'll bring you live coverage from this match from an hour prior to kickoff, as well as team news, post-match reaction and plenty more, so make sure you join us on Sunday afternoon to see if QPR can make it three matches unbeaten.

The club's top scorer, Charlie Austin, was among the goals in both of their matches in the last week, and he's urged his teammates to build on their performance against Villa when they face Jose Mourinho's side.

While we wait for Ramsey, who appears to be running a couple of minutes late this morning, why not check out our football previews page, with in depth previews for many of this weekend's fixtures. Check back later too for Sunday's previews.

One topic of conversation could be Ramsey's predecessor, Harry Redknapp, who has given an interview claiming that behind the scenes issues led to his resignation from the club in February. At the time, it was speculated that the club's lack of transfer activity forced Redknapp out, but he insisted that he needed a knee operation that would prevent him committing enough time to the squad.

Chris Ramsey has just arrived at the press centre, so let's see what he has to say this week...

Ramsey starts by talking about the team's injuries: "We've still got our injury problems that we've got. Really we're still in that position, we're unfortunate with the injuries that we've picked up."

Ramsey admits that he is happy with four points from two matches in the last week: "We'd have taken four points this time last week. We could have been out of the game in the first half, the game could have been over. The players have shown a lot of resilience to stay in the game [against Villa]."

On this weekend's match, Ramsey says: "Hopefully an enjoyable game for the fans, not too enjoyable for the neutral. We know that any team playing Chelsea, especially in the form that they're in is going to be a difficult game. But the players are up for it. They're on course to win the league and they've got a great manager. I'm sure he'll do everything he can to make sure they get the points required."

Asked about the tensions between the two teams, he says: "They can afford to have a blip and still win the league. We really need to pick up every point that we can. It's a derby, so there's going to be the hostilities that you have in any derby."

Ramsey is asked about an incident between former QPR player Anton Ferdinand and Chelsea captain John Terry several years ago, when the Chelsea captain was accused of racism. With Ferdinand's brother Rio now playing for QPR, Ramsey says: "Rio's unfortunately got a knock, he's trying to train this morning and he's someone that we miss on the pitch, but he's someone that won't be involved this weekend. John Terry is a player of Chelsea I don't know what his feelings are towards me, as long as there wasn't anything unprofessional on the field from him I would shake his hand. That episode was uncomfortably for British society, but it's been dealt with and we have to move on."

On the prospect of video replays being available for referees, Ramsey says: "I think it's difficult when it takes the human element out of anything. I do believe that there's a place for it, but I'm not sure how it's going to affect football as a whole."

Ramsey confirms that Dunne is in his thoughts for the remaining fixtures: "I'm really hoping that he's going to be available after this weekend for the rest of the games."

Ramsey is asked about chairman Tony Fernandes's involvement on Twitter, and he says: "I think Twitter as a thing that people do is something that people do in an emotional state. I'm not saying that Tony does, but it doesn't always represent what someone really thinks. Once it's out there it's out there."

Ramsey is asked whether the players are more driven by the derby or the relegation battle, and he replies: "The players live for these sort of games really. Obviously we'd rather be in their position. Unfortunately we haven't taken the chances required to take us above the line, we're just hoping that some of those chances go in this weekend."

Well, that's it from Ramsey this week, so make sure you join us again on Sunday to see how QPR get on against their local rivals. Until then, thanks for joining me this morning. Goodbye.

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Queens Park Rangers' Malaysian chairman Tony Fernandes taken on December 15, 2012
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