Queens Park Rangers haven’t had the best luck with injuries over the last year, and they’ve taken another blow at the worst possible time.

Julien Stéphan appeared to be settling in at Loftus Road following a disappointing 15th-place finish in his initial season with the west London club, with a 4-1 thrashing of Derby County propelling them up to fifth in the Championship standings.

But no sooner than the Hoops were trounced 3-0 by Birmingham City on Tuesday, Stéphan received more awful news.

QPR’s Amadou Mbengue suffered a horrific injury against Derby County

QPR manager Stéphan summoned defender Amadou Mbengue off the bench late in the win over Derby last week to freshen up his defensive options, his second such appearance in a row.

The Senegalese right-back, who is usually a starter, replaced Boy Kemper, but his time on the pitch was cut short as he collapsed with what appeared to be a terrible injury.

Mbengue was stretchered off by medical personnel, but it took several days for the prognosis of his injury to be made public, with the R’s confirming on Monday on their social media platforms that he would be receiving surgery for an ACL damage he sustained.

Amadou Mbengue’s message to QPR fans: worst worries verified.

Mbengue has become a fan favourite after joining on a free transfer from Reading last summer, stepping up to Championship football after previously playing in the second tier with the Royals.

The 24-year-old was originally a center-back with the Royals, but after a few months of the 2025-26 season, Stéphan moved Mbengue to right-back, swapping duties with Jimmy Dunne, and the choice appeared to work well for everyone concerned.

Mbengue eventually took over the right-back position, despite competition from Kealey Adamson and then Tariq Lamptey, who arrived on a free transfer this summer, but his injury will now allow someone else to wear the shirt on a regular basis.

And, following the news of Mbengue’s injury, he sent a message to QPR fans, with his 2026-27 season anticipated to be ended.

Karamoko Dembele’s injury provides QPR a clear timescale for Amadou Mbengue’s comeback.

At the age of 24, Mbengue is still in his prime years, so losing a significant portion of what is expected to be the remainder of the 2026-27 season now will be a devastating blow not just to his current career, but potentially to his future.

Mbengue is a strong, quick defender who exploits his speed to his advantage, but he does not always fully recover from a ruptured ACL and the surgery and recovery that goes with it.

QPR’s recent history of ACL injuries is very damning. Karamoko Dembele is only now recovering from his own injury, having not been seen on the field since late January, so it might be a nine-month wait until Mbengue returns to the field, which will carry over into the next pre-season.

It may also make you question about Mbengue’s likely successor in the starting lineup, Lamptey, who has struggled with injuries in the past, preventing him from becoming the player he may have been at Premier League level.

Lamptey’s ACL injury in September ruled him out for the rest of 2025-26, but QPR took a chance on him on a free transfer; there will be hope that Mbengue can do the same, given that the Ghanaian has returned to action looking sharp enough, despite the occasional early setback.