QPR’s difficult start to the new Premier League season has continued, with the news that striker Andy Johnson will miss most of the rest of the season.
The 31-year-old, who joined the Loftus Road side from Fulham in the summer on a two-year deal, sustained an anterior cruciate ligament injury in Saturday’s 0-0 draw with Chelsea.
Hoops manager Mark Hughes had told the club’s website after the match: “AJ felt something in his knee. We hope he’s going to be okay, but it’s a little bit of a worry.”
“You need players like AJ in the squad because they give so much.
“We’ll send him for a scan over the next few days and hopefully he’ll be okay.
However, scans this morning revealed the extent of the serious injury for the luckless forward which forced him off before half-time of the West London derby.
Cruel blow
QPR posted on their official Twitter account: “Andy Johnson suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury against Chelsea and is likely to be sidelined for the majority of the season.”
AJ, as he is affectionally known to some was only making his fourth appearance for his new club and it is a cruel blow for a forward who has had no luck in recent times.
Since scoring an impressive 21 Premier League goals in a Crystal Palace side that was relegated from the Premier League in 2004-05, injury has dogged his potential to make himself a huge success in the English game.
He had exploratory knee surgery midway through the campaign three years ago when with Fulham and also suffered injury nightmares in his spell with Everton.
Johnson (pictured) has represented England eight times before, although not since 2007.
Hughes still has Djibril Cisse, Bobby Zamora and Jamie Mackie at his disposal upfront as the west Londoners travel to Tottenham at the weekend, still looking for their first league win of the campaign.
This latest injury setback for Johnson will only add to the problems that the Welsh manager has had in the early weeks of the season.
By Simon Wright – Follow me on Twitter @Siwri88
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