Barnsley are hoping to avoid dropping into the Championship relegation zone tomorrow when they visit Queens Park Rangers at bogey ground Loftus Road.
The Reds have not been in the bottom three since losing their first two league games of the season. But they are 19th with one win in their last 15 games and are a point clear of the relegation zone as only three points separate the bottom six.
Barnsley – who have scored just six goals in their last 13 league matches – are six points and two positions below Ian Holloway's 17th-placed QPR.
Their only win at the London club came 68 years ago in January 1950, when they triumphed 5-0 on their second visit there.Their next 24 matches at Loftus Road have brought three draws and 21 defeats including losses in their ten most recent visits which have seen them score four goals and concede 25.
The Reds have won just one of the last nine meetings at either stadium, at home in August last season, with QPR winning seven of those games. Josh Scowen scored the winner against the Hoops at Oakwell in 2016 but is now with the London club, having played 27 of their 29 league games this season.
When the sides met at Oakwell earlier this season, Harvey Barnes' impressive long-range strike put the Reds ahead but Luke Freeman levelled in the 87th minute.
Ian Holloway's men have won just three of their last 15 matches, defeating lowly Burton Albion and Birmingham City as well as high-flying Cardiff City. They have lost their last two games 3-0 at home to Middlesbrough then 2-0 at Bristol City who had a man sent off at 0-0 on 3-2 minutes.
After winning their first three home league games of the season, QPR have won just three of the last 11 at Loftus Road with four draws and four defeats.
Assistant coach Jamie Clapham said: "They are a difficult team to play. Ian Holloway is bubbly and energetic and that's the way his teams are. They change shapes within games and they could start with a couple of different shapes, so we have to make sure we are ready for anything."
Joe Williams will return from a three-match suspension after being sent off in the FA Cup 4-1 loss at Millwall last month. But the Reds will be without right-back Dimitri Cavare who will serve a one-game ban for his two yellow cards in Saturday's 3-1 loss at home to Fulham.
Ethan Pinnock broke a bone in his foot playing head tennis in training last week and is likely to miss several weeks while centre-back Adam Jackson is back in training after a minor setback. Also back in training is winger Lloyd Isgrove but left-back Zeki Fryers is not.
After travelling to QPR, Barnsley host another bottom half side in local rivals Sheffield Wednesday a week later then complete February with games against Burton and Birmingham. The game at fellow strugglers Hull City has been postponed from February 17 as the Tigers will be in FA Cup action that weekend.
Clapham said: "It's very tight at the bottom and we're competing with some huge clubs, but we're positive going into the remainder of the season. We know that February and March will be huge, defining months for us."
