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'Want revenge': QPR boss Julien Stephan makes intriguing Portsmouth remark ahead of Championship opener Pompey kick-start the new season against QPR at Fratton Park on Saturday afternoon. Julien Stephan is adamant Pompey will be looking for ‘revenge’ on QPR following their 6-1 defeat in March. And the Hoops boss has also provided a fresh injury update ahead of Saturday’s curtain raiser at Fratton Park. John Mousinho’s men kick-start the new Championship campaign on home soil this weekend, with three points the target for the head coach and his newly-assembled squad. Familiar opposition lies in wait, with Pompey facing QPR for the first time since the 6-1 defeat at Loftus Road five months ago. The west London debacle represented the Blues’ lowest point of the campaign, extending their winless run to six games, while relegation also became a huge possibility. But the defeat prompted a much-needed reaction from Mousinho’s men, who went on to lose just one of their final eight matches to secure Championship safety with an 18th-placed finish. Pompey want ‘revenge’ on QPR With nine players arriving through the doors at Fratton Park so far this summer, Saturday’s opener represents a fresh start for the head coach and his newly-assembled squad. And Stephan is preparing for a tough curtain raiser on the south coast, with Pompey eyeing ‘revenge’ on his side following the March debacle. Speaking to BBC Radio London ahead of Saturday’s opener, the QPR boss said: ‘I don't think the previous result will have a great importance on Saturday. ‘They [Portsmouth] will probably want to have revenge. I can understand that. In reality, when you restart the season, it's just a reset. ‘You have to forget what happened the season before because all the teams restart with zero points. ‘That's why it's very exciting to restart the new season each time because you have a lot of hope for good things. ‘We respect Portsmouth a lot, but the main thing is to stay focused on QPR, how we want to play, how we want to manage this game [and] how we want to win the balance of power.’ QPR injury latest ahead of Pompey opener QPR have been busy in the market recruiting six new faces this summer - including former Leeds United and Rangers midfielder Glen Kamara. Despite not featuring for Rennes in pre-season ahead of his season-long loan switch, Stephan is confident the 30-year-old will play some part against Pompey on Saturday. And the head coach is also hopeful trio Jonathan Varane, Rumarn Burrell and Paul Smyth will be fit to feature at Fratton Park as they continue to build up their fitness. He told West London Sport: ‘I think they (Jonathan Varane, Rumarn Burrell & Paul Smyth) will be OK and will be available. ‘He didn’t have a normal pre-season with his previous club – he didn’t play in the last four or five months – but he is a very experienced player and has trained with us. ‘If everything is OK this week he will probably be available for us. I don’t want to consider him like a starter for now, but to be on the teamsheet it can be an option.’