Derby County face a break from the Championship this weekend as the Rams face a tricky FA Cup fixture at in-form Leyton Orient.
In what is a repeat of the League One clash last season, in which Paul Warne’s side completed the double over Richie Wellens’ side, Orient have recovered from a difficult start to make a push for the top six.
After what has been a gruelling fixture list over the Christmas period, head coach Paul Warne is expected to make changes as he looks to give some of his established stars a break.
But he does have some injury problems to contend with given the Rams were without Ebou Adams, Joe Ward and Corey Blackett-Taylor for the defeat at Bristol City.
Here is the latest from the treatment table as the Rams prepare to take on Orient at the weekend….
Ebou Adams
The midfielder missed the game against Bristol City due to concussion and because of the protocols, he will be out of the trip to face Orient in the cup. The midfielder suffered the injury in the latter stages of the 4-2 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday on New Year’s Day.
Paul Warne explained: “In the last kick of the game at Sheffield Wednesday, he took a bit of hit to the head. The physios didn’t come on, but he looked a bit wobbly. He didn’t look so good, he finished the game and then he did the concussion protocol after the game. He scored highly which meant he was confused and because he had another one previously this season, he had to jump through greater hoops to get back in.”
Corey Blackett-Taylor
The winger has missed the last two games because of a problem with his groin and is facing a race against time to prove his fitness for the trip to Brisbane Road.
Joe Ward
The wingback had to pull out from being on the bench at the weekend because of a minor issue with his knee. Like Blackett-Taylor, he is battling to prove his fitness although there are rumours linking him with a move to Mansfield.
Eiran Cashin
The defender had to be replaced in the second half of the crushing 4-0 win over Portsmouth before Christmas because of a hamstring problem.
The good news is that while he will be missing for Leyton Orient, he is expected to be back on the grass on Monday although whether he would be ready to face Watford after a spell on the sidelines remains to be seen.
David Ozoh
The on-loan Crystal Palace midfielder has been out of action since picking up an injury against Cardiff. Initially, he had overcome the hamstring problem, which saw him taken off in the second half, but in his final session, before he was due to return, he damaged his quad muscle.
But Paul Warne revealed last week that Ozoh is due to be back in training after the game against Leyton Orient which would be a considerable boost given how well he has done since joining from Palace in the summer. But Derby will have to be exceptionally careful with him, as he has not kicked a ball since September. He is due to be back at the end of next week.
Ryan Nyambe
Nyambe was ruled out for up to six months because of a knee injury he sustained against Millwall earlier in the season. The former Blackburn defender has damaged his posterior ligament.
However, the Rams have received an unexpected boost after Warne said he could return at the end of January. He is expected to join in with the squad after the Leyton Orient game at the weekend.
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