The latest from the treatment table as Derby County prepare for their next Championship encounter at the Stadium of Light tomorrow night.
Derby County face another tough test of their Championship credentials tomorrow night when they face Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.
The Black Cats are presently second in the table behind leaders West Brom, having had a fantastic start to the season, despite being defeated by Watford at the weekend.
Derby are also seeking to rebound back after Norwich City ended their perfect home record at Pride Park, albeit in dubious circumstances.
Derby are yet to pick up a point on the road this season, and they have some injury issues to deal with. Callum Elder, David Ozoh, Liam Thompson, Jake Rooney, and Tom Barkhuizen are all nursing injuries, and here’s when they’re expected to return as the Rams prepare for what promises to be an exciting match against the Black Cats.
Callum Elder
When the Australian came off in the second half against Sheffield United, he appeared to be in pain, and scans later revealed that he had a groin injury. The Australian will not return until after the international break, which is disappointing given that the former Hull City and Leicester City player was in fantastic form.
David Ozoh
Ozoh, like Elder, will be out until after the next international break with a hamstring problem. He will be a valuable asset when he returns, having been one of the star performances this season after signing on a season-long loan from Crystal Palace.
“Obviously, he’s going to be out for a period of time,” he informed me. “We won’t see him this side of the international break,” Warne announced.
“His hamstring has obviously been damaged. It was benign. He simply went down after receiving a pass to the side.
“When a guy goes down like that with no one around him, they’re coming off, and you know they’ll be out for a while, so you prepare for the worst.
“It’s not the worst news, but it takes five to six weeks. At one point, I felt things could have been worse, but he’s fine. I don’t think it’s truly hit him, along with the idea that he won’t be playing on Saturday. I believe it will hit him then, but he is confident in himself.”
Tom Barkhuizen
The winger felt his calf during a warm-up in preparation for the win over Cardiff City. It was hoped he would return sooner rather than later, but Warne stated over the weekend that he did not anticipate him to face the Black Cats tomorrow night.
Liam Thompson
The academy graduate is unlikely to return before the international break after injuring his groin in training when taking a shot in the closing stages of the session.
Jake Rooney
The defender is making good progress and has returned on the grass with his teammates. He will need minutes to come up to speed, and it would not be surprising if he played for the under-21s to help him get match fitness.
