Mark Warburton says he is more than wary of the threat a struggling Middlesbrough side pose ahead of their trip to Loftus Road this weekend.

The R’s currently lie eighth in the Championship table after faltering in recent weeks, failing to win any of their last three matches since an Ebere Eze-inspired win against Hull at the KCOM Stadium last month.

But in Boro, Warburton’s players are set to do battle with one of the division’s most troubled teams, sitting in the relegation zone after a slow start to the season under new manager Jonathan Woodgate.

Despite their opponents’ lowly position – Boro have not won a Championship match since September 14 – the QPR boss believes their early form may have been misleading.

“There’s no doubt Middlesbrough will come here with a point to prove – they’re a big club with big expectations," said Warburton.

“They have a big squad and Jonathan Woodgate has come in with his experience, in terms of his playing career and he has Robbie Keane alongside him.

“I’ve watched a lot of their games and there have been some where they should’ve got something from the game, so their league position in my mind is somewhat false; they have a talented squad and have some injuries, which has been well documented.

“Whoever they put out (on Saturday) will be a talented player – we know that because they wouldn’t be at Middlesbrough otherwise, so it will be another tough test for us.

“Middlesbrough will be conscious that the other two teams in the bottom three are playing each other, so it could be a very big weekend for many reasons. We have to prepare well because they have good quality throughout their ranks.”

Warburton is still fretting over the fitness of centre-back Toni Leistner, while fellow defender Yoann Barbet is also ruled out for a third consecutive game with a muscle problem.

German defender Leistner sustained an unspecified injury in the 2-0 defeat against Leeds at Elland Road last weekend, but the QPR boss hailed the medical team for seeking to fast-track his return.

"Toni is 50-50 and the medical team are doing a fantastic job with him, so we’ll watch how he does and hopefully he’ll be ready for the weekend,” he added.

“Yoann is probably another couple of weeks away - that’s what the doctor has told me. Yoann has never had a muscle injury before, which is quite bizarre for a player of 27 years of age.”

The R’s had been fifth in the table after that triumphant trip to Humberside last month, but recent defeats against Brentford and Leeds have scuppered their early momentum.

But Warburton’s players are sitting just two points shy of that coveted sixth-place spot, knowing that a win against Woodgate’s side could be enough to elevate themselves back into contention once again.

“Going into the international break with a good three points, we’d be in a great position," he said.

“The Championship is so relentless, you have to focus one game at a time and if anything isn’t quite right then you pay the price, as I have said before.

“We have to recognise the good performances we’ve put in at places like Millwall at Sheffield Wednesday, getting results there too.

“We are a good side and we need to remember that.”