PA PhotosSamba Diakite should return to the team for QPR's trip to Newcastle

So, now that we have managed to grapple one monkey off our back and onto the floor, a second one sits smugly behind.

The record for longest start to a Premier League season without a win is in the bag - that 16-game losing streak is unlikely to be beaten for many a year. Now we have to address the second worrying losing streak that the club are afflicted with - the accursed away win.

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You have to go back as far as the 19th November 2011 to find the last time QPR won on their travels in the league - a hard-fought 3-2 win at Stoke City. Since then, 22 Premier League matches have passed, and one FA Cup tie against MK Dons, without a victory.

Is Newcastle too good an opportunity to miss? The Toon are at sixes and sevens at the moment. Injuries have taken their toll, as have rumours about the future of Demba Ba.

QPR are riding on an unbeaten streak that stretches back a giddy four games - and includes a very accomplished victory against Fulham. Newcastle, meanwhile, have mustered just a single win in 11 games and are starting to look worryingly over their shoulder at the relegation scrap.

But we should be wary. Winning in front of a full house at Loftus Road is one thing, putting together a performance over 90 minutes in the chilly cauldron of St James' Park will be quite another.

The jury is most definitely out after that Fulham performance. Granted, it was an absolute domination, but how much of that was Fulham not showing up at all, and how much was tactical nous and superiority. It's a split decision among fans, but much will depend once again on how well Adel Taarabt plays in the hole. Alas, Taarabt has a less-than-stellar record away from home.

However, Harry Redknapp has an in-form replacement on the bench in Junior Hoilett, who scored after a 30-minute hat-trick for the reserves in midweek. His directness and pace could unsettle Newcastle if Taarabt mis-fires.

Samba Diakite's likely return to fitness gives Redknapp a pleasant conundrum in the middle of the field where Alejandro Faurlin put in a decent performance alongside Stephane Mbia. I'd imagine the presence of Diakite and Mbia is more Redknapp's cup of tea on the road.

And we will also get an insight into what Redknapp thinks of his two goalkeepers as Julio Cesar is fully fit. If Rob Green is dropped this weekend, it is difficult to see him staying a QPR player throughout January.

Follow Sean Smith on Twitter @seanshorn

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