As they look to seal promotion back to the Championship, Derby County have been handed a fresh injury blow, with a key player not expected to return for the rest of the season.
Derby injury news
With Bolton Wanderers up next, Derby sit just one point above their upcoming opponents and in the final automatic promotion place. Putting it simply, the stakes couldn't get much higher this weekend, which makes the Rams' latest injury news all the more frustrating. Paul Warne will be hoping that his squad can do enough to at least avoid defeat and maintain control in the push for promotion.
As things stand, there are just eight games left of the League One season with everything to play for. In that run, the best-case scenario is a full squad to choose from, but Warne will be without eight players for at least some of, if not all of the run-in, as per The Derby Telegraph.
Max Bird
Early April
Tyrese Fornah
Doubt for Bolton
James Collins
Late March
Tyrese John-Jules
Season over
Ryan Nyambe
Season over
Conor Washington
End of the season
Jake Rooney
End of the season
Josh Vickers
Doubt for Bolton
Warne revealed the latest twist prior to his side's all-important clash this weekend when speaking to the media. He told BBC Sport that Ryan Nyambe's injury required surgery, which has ended his season.
Now in the final stretch of games, Derby will have to cope without their right-back and seek replacements elsewhere in the squad.
"Fantastic" Nyambe's injury is a frustrating blow
Signed on a free deal following his release from Wigan Athletic in September, Nyambe has quickly proved to be a bargain addition to Warne's squad at Pride Park, starting 17 games and even earning a place at the African Cup of Nations with Namibia in the process. His season is now over, however, following the need for an operation.
Before that surgery, there may have been some hope that the 26-year-old would make an injury comeback at a vital stage of the season, but Derby will ultimately never know.
Birmingham manager Tony Mowbray will know exactly what Derby will miss in the absence of Nyambe, having showered the right-back with praise during his Blackburn Rovers days, via the Lancashire Telegraph.
“The best one we’ve got, one-v-one, I never fancy anyone to beat Ryan Nyambe on a one-on-one. He’s got fantastic body strength, great acceleration, we know his growth areas. He got in behind late on and overhit his cross again. That’s alright, he’ll keeping working at that and get better.
“There are areas of his game that over the last few years have improved immensely, his heading is a million times better than it was, his passing is getting better, we just need to get his crossing better and we’ll have a top player.”
