QPR hit by Wright-Phillips blow

QPR's hopes of avoiding relegation from the Premier League suffered a blow on Friday when former England winger Shaun Wright-Phillips was ruled out for the rest of the season. Wright-Phillips, 31, had surgery on his right ankle earlier this week and QPR manager Harry Redknapp revealed the ex-Chelsea and Manchester City star will not be back in action until next season. It is a significant setback for Redknapp, whose side are seven points from safety with just seven matches remaining and face a crucial clash against fellow strugglers Wigan on Sunday. "Shaun has had an operation. It needed doing," Redknapp said. "He's played with the pain and not felt 100 per cent. He couldn't train or play to his maximum. The pain was too much. "We had wanted to try and keep him going but he couldn't carry on. When he has played he has done well but I don't think he felt he was capable of giving his maximum. Hopefully he will come back fully fit and ready for next season." Wright-Phillips confirmed the surgery in a short Twitter posting, showing a picture of his bandaged right ankle. He wrote on Twitter: "Had my ankle surgery this morning all went well. Thanx 4 your kind wishes truly appreciate it all." From: AFP