Cifuentes said: "Morgan Fox and Ilias Chair are not available yet either. And then Lyndon Dykes after this, he got a tackle on the same ankle that he unfortunately injured before the Euros and he felt a little bit uncomfortable during the week - so he will not be ready for tomorrow's game. Outside of that, everybody else is ready for the game."
When pushed on a potential timeframe for the return of the trio, Cifuentes remained somewhat vague - but did give a positive update on Dykes:
"I think all of them are in different situations. I will say that probably the one who is closer is Lyndon. We expect that he will be ready for next week to train with the group, but I think we're taking all the situations day by day, so to say."
With Dykes ruled out of the Brighton game, the Hoops' head coach was asked whether new signing Zan Celar, who played 32 minutes in the 1-0 defeat against Reading, is in line to make his first start for the club.
Cifuentes opted to keep his cards close to his chest on this possibility however, simply saying: "It's a possibility."
QPR's Pre-Season Tests
Brighton will be QPR's third game against Premier League opposition during pre-season and, when asked about what he hopes to take from the game, Cifuentes appeared keen to test his players against the best teams possible:
"The idea is actually to try to show our best competitive side because, in one week, we start the season. So I see it as a positive thing that we have been facing lately, as you said, three Premier League teams.
"As well, Reading last week was a very competitive game. So I think that we need to make sure that we are as ready as we can be for the West Brom game. And in that sense, it's a good team that tries to play good football."
On the fact that it is their third game against Premier League opposition, Cifuentes insisted that he sees great value in playing against such high-calibre sides:
"I would say that it's a clear challenge every time that we play against high-level opposition as we did against Tottenham, then against Fulham. As I said before, I think the Reading game was very demanding for several reasons.
"So that's the target. I think it means not so much to have a position where we don't get the level of challenge that we might face when we start the season."
Pressing System Progress
Before QPR's friendly against Tottenham, Cifuentes revealed that he had implemented a new pressing system during pre-season, to take into the upcoming campaign.
Asked about how the players are adapting to this new system, Cifuentes shared delight at what he has seen:
"Good. Yeah, definitely. I think that there's a big, big improvement, I would say, over the last weeks. And as well last season, we were a team that was not easy to beat.
"I think that in many phases during the season, we were a team that was conceding very few chances. But the target as well is not only that, but as well to regain the ball as high and as quick as possible.
"So to do that, we needed to develop a little bit as well, I would say, a bit more [of an] aggressive pressing system. And, yeah, so far, I'm happy with the development of the players on that part."
Transfer Window Challenges
As the start of the season ticks closer, transfer rumours have become ever-present for most teams - and QPR are no exception.
With five players in through the door so far in the transfer window, as well as 13 player departures, with some leaving on loan, Cifuentes finds himself with a much smaller squad than last season - and their current injuries do little to help that.
Speaking on the difficulty of operating in the transfer market, Cifuentes insisted on the need for being careful with deals:
"We need to be very smart on our signings. We try to use the right windows, and I'm aware that the club is trying their best to bring the right players according to our financial situation."
Reports from Italy have suggested that the Hoops are close to signing Juventus left-back Gianluca Frabotta, and that a deal could be sealed imminently.
When asked if this was a deal being worked on, Cifuentes remained coy, unwilling to speak about players not currently with the club.
"No. I'm aware that now there is a lot of speculation, a lot of names around, but it's normal at this moment of pre-season. So I have nothing to confirm until there is any news."
The head coach was asked about the challenge of the transfer window closing after the start of the season, but Cifuentes insisted that it is a challenge for every team, not just QPR:
"The reality I think that not only for us, but for all the teams in every league is that the season is starting earlier than the window will close. So that means that I don't think that we will see any team next week having a final squad or the same picture that it will be in during the next four weeks.
"So we just need to make sure that, as I said before, in a constrained market, I think that there's few teams in the Championship that are really spending big amounts of money.
"We need to make sure that we operate in the best way we can. And then from there, try to get the best of the players that we get here because that's my promise and my commitment as a coach."
