QPR: Concerning Sam Field news must mean £15k-a-week star kicks into gear | OneFootball

The veteran midfielder has ample experience in both the Premier League and Championship

Injury to midfield star Sam Field has left Queens Park Rangers needing a senior player to step up in the final months of the Championship season in the form of Jack Colback.

QPR boss Marti Cifuentes confirmed that holding midfielder Sam Field is set for a “long” injury lay-off after coming off in the R’s clash with Portsmouth last month.

Field’s return isn't clear just yet with the BBC reporting that the ankle injury could keep him out anywhere between six and nine weeks, which could end his season. QPR, then, will have to turn to other members of their squad in the interim, with Colback seemingly the closest to a like-for-like replacement.

Key figure Sam Field difficult to replace for QPR

The absence of Field will be the cause of much consternation at Loftus Road, with the West Bromwich Albion academy graduate an influential player for the Hoops.

Prior to his injury-enforced absence against Sheffield United last time out, Field had missed just one Championship game – starting all the remaining 33 games.

On top of his knack of keeping fit and avoiding injury, Field has also managed to walk the tightrope of suspension all season, evading any potential ban despite his role as a frequent tackler in the heart of the QPR midfield.

The former England youth international has captained the R’s on occasion this campaign, highlighting his importance under Marti Cifuentes.

Only goalkeeper Paul Nardi and defender Jimmy Dunne have played more Championship minutes for the R’s than Field this season.

As such, the task of replacing Field’s industry in the heart of midfield will be a difficult one, with Colback looking like the best candidate.

Despite being on an estimated £15,000 a week according to capology.com, Colback has been a bit-part player for the R’s this season.

Although partly impacted by a knee injury, the ex-Sunderland midfielder has been restricted to 13 appearances this term, a decrease on the 29 Championship matches he played in his first year at Loftus Road after joining on a free transfer from Nottingham Forest ahead of the 2023/24 season.

Final opportunity for Jack Colback to earn contract extension at QPR

Often, in football, one player’s misfortune becomes an opportunity for another.

Colback’s hefty wages and advanced age has many QPR fans wondering if it is time to move on from the former Newcastle United midfielder.

After being on the fringes of Cifuentes’ side this season, a chance for a lengthy run in the starting XI could be the chance for Colback to prove why he deserves another year at Loftus Road.

Colback’s veteran status is obviously a boon to the QPR squad, with the 35-year-old able to draw on his vast experience in the top two leagues of English football.

However, simply bringing experience to the dressing room is not enough to justify keeping Colback for another year on his reported £15,000 per week wages.

By proving that he can be relied upon when called to step into the starting XI, Colback could encourage the Hoops into exercising the one-year extension clause in his current contract.

Field's absence opens the door to Colback impressing and now is his time to take whatever chance is thrown his way.