The international break has ended, and Paul Warne is busy preparing his Derby County players for the weekend’s game against Preston North End, although it appears that two injured players are not among them.
We’re already one-third of the way into the Championship season, and freshly promoted Derby County have settled fairly swiftly since their return to the second division.
Derby face a crucial match against Preston North End, who have suffered this season. Indeed, if the Rams are to avoid relegation this season, they will need to produce results against opponents such as Preston.
However, when it comes to Derby County’s injury news before of the encounter, we may have just received a strong indication that two crucial players will remain out of action.
David Ozoh and Callum Elder absent from training video
On Tuesday afternoon, the club’s official account released a video on Twitter/X that showed the Derby County players exercising in the snow-covered facilities at Moor Farm.
While Ebou Adams, Dajaune Brown, and Eiran Cashin are seen strutting their thing on the turf, David Ozoh and Callum Elder are noticeably absent from the video.
Ozoh, who is recovering from a hamstring injury, was expected to return to Derby County’s starting lineup against Preston.
Meanwhile, Elder was a ‘huge question’ for the Plymouth game before to the international break, but he is also expected to return very soon.
However, the fact that the couple did not appear in any of the training film suggests that they are not yet ready to participate in team sessions, let alone a competition.
Of course, it’s possible that the players were accidentally left out of the cut. Still, with fans wanting to know when Ozoh and Elder will return, one would expect the club to have made them the focal point of any good news.
David Ozoh could be difference for Derby County when he’s fit
Ozoh was one of Derby County’s most exciting summer signings, and he has shown tremendous potential. Unfortunately, the young midfielder’s availability has been severely hampered owing to injury.
When he returns, Paul Warne’s side will undoubtedly benefit from his defensive abilities, as well as his remarkable passing range and ability to control the flow of the game from deep.
Meanwhile, the Rams have fared relatively well since Ozoh’s replacement. Derby County’s Ebou Adams is the finest tackler and interceptor in England’s top four divisions, as evidenced by statistics.
Once Ozoh is fit, it will be interesting to see if Warne replaces Adams or creates room for both players. If he accomplishes the latter, Kenzo Goudmijn will have even more freedom to move into more advanced positions, which might be really valuable.
