His team may be fresh from brushing aside promotion hopefuls Leeds United in the Championship, but QPR boss Mark Warburton is under no illusion about the threats Sheffield Wednesday will pose to their hopes of FA Cup progression.

The Hoops are hoping to reach the fifth round of the world’s oldest cup competition for only the second time since 1997, and host league rivals Wednesday on Friday night looking to stretch their run of victories to four in five games in all competitions.

And if last weekend’s performance is anything to go by the omens look good for Warburton’s men, with Nahki Wells’ controversial first-half goal enough to squeeze past Leeds and lift QPR up to 14th in the table.

Despite admitting he was buoyed by his team’s defensive prowess, Warburton insists the Owls - who lie just two points adrift of the Championship’s play-off places - will be similarly determined to secure cup success following a disappointing 5-0 home defeat to Blackburn last time out.

“They’ll feel very badly done by and will be very keen to deliver a performance,” the 57-year-old said. “We have to make sure we rise to the challenge.

“They’ve sold out their away allocation and will have great backing and we know we’ll get hurt if we’re not on it.

“But it’s a fantastic opportunity and we’re focused on getting our name into the hat for the next round because that’s undoubtedly where we want to be.

“It was a great three points last week and we looked hungry across the park, but we were quick not to dwell on that. We’ve made sure we’re well-prepared for Sheffield Wednesday and it should be a great occasion.”

A much-changed Rangers side booked their place in round four in style by cruising past Swansea City 5-1 earlier this month, and Warburton admits his squad could be similarly rotated against Wednesday.

But in the wake of that performance - and the recent impressive contributions of youth stars such as Conor Masterson who made his full league debut against Leeds - he is in no doubt that whatever team he names will be ready to face Garry Monk’s men.

Warburton said: “You have to use the squad. With the demands following such a gruelling Christmas period, it’s important to look after the players and avoid fatigue and injury as much as possible.

“Conor’s been very patient and he’s an example of the talent we’ve got coming through. He’s risen to the challenges put in front of him and grabbed his chance with both hands.

“I don’t see changing the team as making it weaker - it’s just using the squad. We made some significant changes against Swansea and the boys put in a magnificent performance so I have the utmost belief in all the boys.”