QPR midfielder Adel Taarabt has hit back at manager Harry Redknapp’s claims that he is “about three stone overweight”.

After the 3-2 defeat to Liverpool on Sunday, the R’s boss said: “I can’t protect people who don’t want to run and train, and are about three stone overweight.

“Taarabt is not injured. He’s not fit. He’s not fit to play football unfortunately.”

However, the 25-year-old has countered those claims and has also taken a swipe at Redknapp’s training methods.

The Morocco international told the Daily Mail: “It’s not true to say I’m not fit. He tried to give an excuse. I was desperate to play before the game. I was fuming when I didn’t play.

“He should have said ‘when he is fit he will play’. He is an experienced manager and he should have controlled that situation.

“I didn’t do pre-season with the team because I had an ankle injury, so I wasn’t 100%. I don’t like the food at the training ground, but eat healthily like every other player. Simple.

“My heaviest weight at Milan was 86kg (13st 8lb), my lightest 84kg (13st 2lb) – now I’m 85kg (13st 5lb).”

Taarabt spent the second part of last season on loan at Serie A giants AC Milan and has not started for the R’s since their League Cup defeat to League Two outfit Burton Albion in August, while he has only made two substitute appearances in the league this term.

QPR lie bottom of the Premier League having lost six of their eight matches so far.