Nigerian-born winger Bright Osayi-Samuel was conspicuously absent from Queens Park Rangers matchday 18 in their 3-0 loss to Barnsley at Oakwell on Tuesday night.

It was the first time in the new season the Hoops' Young Player of the Year was omitted from the matchday squad in all competitions as he started all their matches prior to the trip to Barnsley.

The 22-year-old has entered the final eight months of his contract with Queens Park Rangers and manager Mark Warburton has more or less confirmed that the ongoing contract feud was the reasoning behind his decision to omit him from the squad.

Warburton told QPR's official webpage : "Contract talks with Bright have been ongoing for a while now. He’s a great lad, everyone knows what I think of him, but his head has to be in the right place for a game of football and I just felt that tonight it wasn’t right for Bright and for the team as well.

"There a lot of lads who are working really hard and it does him good just to have a think about things. Contract discussion are moving along at a certain pace and I just want him to have a clear head and make the right decision."

He added: “There is still very much hope [that he will sign a new contract]. He is at a very good place at the club, he is developing well with us and I hope very much that he can see that is the case.

“For me, I just want him to make a clear decision. He is a very talented young lad, I think a lot of him, but it is a difficult time for a young player and he has to make a very clear decision."

Osayi-Samuel joined Queens Park Rangers from Blackpool in the summer of 2017 and is credited with 100 appearances for his current club, scoring 11 goals.

Igho Kingsley