Key Derby County player set to miss further matches

Derby County skipper Curtis Davies is set to be sidelined for a month, it has emerged.

News of Davies’ injury first emerged at the weekend when the 37-year-old has missed the Rams’ 2-1 win over Barnsley at Pride Park with a thigh injury sustained in training.

Davies also missed last night’s 0-0 draw away at Shrewsbury, with Rams boss Liam Rosenior confirming the bad news after the match.

“He’s had a scan and it looks like, I would say, a month so it’s not great news,” Rosenior said on Davies, via DerbyshireLive.

“But Richard Stearman has come in, won the game on Saturday and kept a clean sheet against Shrewsbury.

“That’s why you need a squad and why I have to keep rotating and keeping the team fresh.

“What we have is a quality squad but we don’t have the quantity.

“I have to manage the minutes of the team so carefully and meticulously to make sure by October and November we are really ready to go.”

Fortunately for Derby, with numbers light in central defence, James Chester is set to return to training this week, as confirmed by Rosenior.

He told the media: “James will be training with us on Thursday and it will be great to have him back.”

“He adds real quality and experience to the group.”

Derby travel away from home to face Fleetwood Town in League One action on Saturday afternoon.

This is a big blow to Derby County.

Davies is so important for this Rams side so to have him out for an extended run of matches will be a big disappointment.

One thing Derby can take comfort in, though, is how well Richard Stearman has done since coming in, and the fact James Chester is set to return to training.

Without both of those, things would be looking far bleaker for Derby at present, but, providing they are hit with no further