Both mid-table finishers last season, Queens Park Rangers welcome London rivals Millwall to the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium on Saturday, hoping to embark on a push for a top-six place this term.

While QPR aim to improve on ninth, the Lions will attempt to reach the playoffs for the first time since returning to the Championship in 2017.

Match preview

Optimism has been in plentiful supply at QPR in the past few weeks, as manager Mark Warburton seeks to build on foundations laid during his first two years at the west London club.

After signing a new contract with the Championship side, Warburton - previously on a one-year rolling deal - leads his team into their season-opener against Millwall at the weekend with a familiar face by his side.

Given star striker Charlie Austin's lower-league pedigree, when his West Bromwich Albion contract expired earlier this summer, the Hoops were not alone in wanting to secure his services, following a successful loan deal last term.

It seemed like a natural fit for both parties when Austin signed on the dotted line, though, and the 32-year-old will be intent upon recapturing his career-best form while previously at the club, when he made a serious impact on Premier League defences.

Naturally, Warburton will be delighted to retain such an integral cog in his attacking machine, and Austin netted in two high-profile pre-season friendlies last month - as Rangers kept the feelgood factor glowing by beating Manchester United 4-2, before holding Leicester City to a 3-3 draw.

Since the manager was appointed in 2019, finishing 13th and ninth has helped stabilise an ailing outfit, as they endured a prolonged sticky patch after relegation from the top flight four years before. Now, a repeat of March's 3-2 win over Millwall on home turf would get their promotion push off to a flyer.

Lions boss Gary Rowett, meanwhile, took a last look at his options ahead of Saturday's game with a final training ground practice match on Wednesday.

Previously, his Millwall team had beaten both Motherwell and Ipswich Town without conceding and drawn 1-1 at Gillingham, as they warm up for another gruelling Championship campaign.

Following a tough trip to Shepherd's Bush this weekend, Rowett's men will enjoy the rare prospect of three consecutive home matches - two in the league and one, versus Portsmouth, in the EFL Cup - so a winning start on the road could set their season up perfectly.

Well-travelled striker Benik Afobe has joined the club on a season-long loan from Stoke, following 15 moves in his career so far - including a loan spell with Trabzonspor last year - while fellow new boys George Saville and Scott Malone bring further Championship know-how through the door.

Briefly on loan at The Den from Arsenal in 2013, Afobe could prove a key component in the manager's intended expansion of their renowned repertoire of grafting and destroying others' momentum.

Both he and Malone were on target in the 3-0 success at Portman Road last week, and will be relishing the prospect of resuming life in front of fans at QPR, who Millwall ultimately finished six points below last term. As the visitors have been allocated more than 2,500 tickets for the game, there is sure to be a raucous crowd there to greet them.

Team News

Mark Warburton has been busy in the transfer market, and QPR's business has convinced many observers they can now withstand the rigours of a promotion-chasing campaign.

Seny Dieng established himself as the club's number one last year, so should hold off the claims of new signing Jordan Archer for his place between the posts, while in front of him, defender Moses Odubajo spent most of the summer training with Rangers and has now been awarded a contract. Jordy de Wijs is back on a permanent deal and offers some steel to the back three.

Arguably their two loan signings that had the most impact were that of Charlie Austin and Stefan Johansen, with the latter now made captain, and both are set to be deployed against Millwall this week after signing full terms.

The visitors, however, will be without one of their main men, as Mason Bennett will miss Saturday's game through injury, so former Hoops striker Matt Smith could feature at some stage.

While the back five positions are possibly settled - if Gary Rowett opts to deploy a 5-3-2 formation - there is much competition for places in the Millwall midfield, with George Saville now joining Alex Pearce and George Evans and Maikel Kieftenbeld among those in contention.

Jed Wallace - who recently overcame a rib injury - and Benik Afobe both scored last time out, so the pair should start up front once again.

Queens Park Rangers possible starting lineup:
Dieng; Odubajo, De Wijs, Dickie, Barbet, Wallace; Ball, Chair, Johansen; Austin, Dykes

Millwall possible starting lineup:
Bialkowski; McNamara, Ballard, Hutchinson, Cooper, Malone; Pearce, Evans, Saville; Wallace, Afobe

We say: Queens Park Rangers 2-1 Millwall

Now with numerous options in attack and defence, QPR are surely poised to push for a place in the higher echelons of the table this season, so can get their campaign underway with a win over Millwall.

Both managers are shrewd operators at this level, but the home side's squad features a little more individual quality, which should make the difference on Saturday.