Taarabt set to stay at QPR

Playmaker Taarabt admitted he was resigned to leaving the club this month while Warnock was still in charge but is now looking forward to reviving his Rangers career.

The 22-year-old, who is currently in Gabon with Morocco's African Nations Cup squad, backed the decision to sack Warnock.

"I think we needed that," Taarabt told BBC Sport. "I had good years with Neil Warnock but we were in a bad position."

Saturday's (Sunday AEDT) win over Wigan hauled QPR out of the English Premier League relegation zone.

Taarabt, who was linked with Paris St Germain last northern summer, added: "I think if Mark Hughes was not coming in, maybe I was leaving in January.

"I spoke with the chairman and the situation now has changed. They want to keep me and we're going to have a discussion when we come back.

"Mark Hughes is a great manager and I think the chairman is giving him money so he's buying players.

"I'm going to meet him and see what's going to happen."

Taarabt joined QPR from Tottenham at the start of last season after a successful loan spell and was the star of its English Championship-winning side.

But he struggled to translate that form into the Premier League, with Warnock persistently questioning the player's attitude and dropping him from the side.

Meanwhile, fellow midfielder Lee Cook has returned to Loftus Road following the conclusion of his loan spell at Leyton Orient.