Queens Park Rangers playmaker Taylor Richards has been left out of the official team photo, creating confusion around his future with the Championship side.
The 22-year-old joined QPR on a permanent deal in the summer but was surprisingly absent from a recent team photo that was posted to the club’s Twitter page this afternoon.
His season so far
Richards has made just two appearances under Gareth Ainsworth since his permanent arrival from Brighton Hove Albion in the summer and has been absent from the squad in each of the last five league games.
The attacking midfielder started during the club’s EFL Cup win against Norwich City, playing the full 90 minutes as well as having a brief substitute cameo against Cardiff City in the club’s first away match of the Championship season.
Why hasn’t he played?
There has been no official confirmation as to why Gareth Ainsworth hasn’t opted to start Richards so far this season, despite his side sitting 19th in the Championship standings.
The attacking midfielder featured for the club’s U21s during a recent match against Swansea City but featured for just 65 minutes before being taken off.
Was there anything else noticeable?
Aside from Taylor Richards not making the squad picture, there was the surprise inclusion of several of the club’s U21s, which brings further confusion on the future of the attacking midfielder.
Writer’s View
It is very surprising to see a summer signing already seeming to be surplus to requirements despite arriving for a seven-figure fee just three months ago, but that appears to be the case with Richards.
Richards had a bright spark at Birmingham City on loan but has struggled to have a continuous run of matches since. Also, given Queens Park Rangers’ frustrating start to the season, to see a player like Richards being pushed aside is very surprising and creates more questions than it answers.
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