Four ruled out for Derby County against Hull City
Derby County will look to make it four games unbeaten in the Championship when they tackle Hull City in the Championship at Pride Park this weekend.
Fresh from their 1-1 draw against Oxford United on Tuesday night, the Rams are back on home turf where they have been impressive this season having picked up four wins out of five games.
Their last performance at Pride Park saw Derby brush past the challenge of QPR as they sealed a 2-0 win and only Norwich have been able to breach their defence so far at home this season.
READ MORE:Hull City rocked by major new injury worry ahead of Derby County clash as seven ruled out
READ MORE:Derby County suffer fresh David Ozoh injury blow
But they will face a stiff examination from a Hull side who head coach Paul Warne still believes will challenge for a place in the top six come the end of the season.
Derby do have some injury problems to contend with and here is the latest from the treatment table at Pride Park.
David Ozoh
The on-loan Crystal Palace midfielder has been training after recovering from the hamstring problem against Cardiff City but was not risked for the game at Millwall at the weekend. He was put through his final sessions this week, but in what is a fresh blow, the midfielder has damaged his quad muscle.
Paul Warne confirmed today that he will be missing until the international break which is a bitter setback for both the player and the club.
Speaking today Warne said: "I was partially aware of it on Tuesday but I didn't know the severity of it. I wasn't going to come out after the game and say and it wasn't the time either.
"He's damaged his quad which is disappointing because it was his last day with the physical team before he was due to train with the squad today. We won't be seeing him before the next international break that's for sure. That's a massive blow. He is devastated because by the time he is back that's two and a half months we will have been without him.
"He's had a really good start and it shows how far the team has come because while he's been missing, the team have been performing."
Ryan Nyambe
The news of Ozoh's injury comes after Nyambe was ruled out for up to six months because of a knee injury he sustained against Millwall. The former Blackburn defender has damaged his posterior ligament and while he will not have to undergo an operation, he will be out of action until next year.
Confirming the blow this week, Warne said: "He's done his PCL (posterior ligament), and his recovery is four to six months," he said. "I don't think he will need surgery, so it doesn't affect the reoccurrence of injury.
"That is good, but obviously, it's heartbreaking. I love the kid. I know everybody loves their players, and the fans will know I do, but he is some kid.
"He just wants to play and wants to do well. The first thing he did was send me a text to say I feel like I've let you down. And I was like, what? It's a massive blow from a personal point of view, but from a player point of view, I think he's been excellent."
Tawanda Chirewa
The on-loan Wolves midfielder will miss the game at the weekend because of a freak injury to his quad that looks set to keep him on the sidelines for the next next four to six weeks.
Jake Rooney
The defender is back on the grass and is getting match minutes having played for the under-21s in a Premier League cup game against Brentford. The club is being cautious with him and he will continue to work on his fitness. While he played a full 90 minutes against the Bees, he will not be risked.
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