Paul Warne has just been dealt a positive injury update ahead of Derby County’s clash against Blackpool.
Paul Warne was starting to curse his luck in the dugout at Derby County.
The 50-year-old has had to contend with so much misfortune in the injury department this season, with as many as 14 first-team players spending a period on the sidelines.
Those problems piled up even further in the defeat to Northampton, as while Dwight Gayle and Tom Barkhuizen joined several others on the injury table, the former Rotherham manager suffered multiple blows in the match itself.
Long-serving defender Craig Forsyth, who had just recovered from a long-term calf issue, picked up another problem against the Cobblers while star player Nathaniel Mendez-Laing hobbled off with a suspected hamstring injury.
Warne feared the worst for his assist machine and claimed it didn’t look good after the match.
Derby were at serious risk of losing their most influential player for the remainder of the season, or so it seemed, as a positive update has now emerged on the 31-year-old as well as top scorer James Collins.
Paul Warne dealt positive Nathaniel Mendez-Laing and James Collins updates
Collins’ season looked to be over after he damaged knee ligaments in the victory over Exeter City last month but he has remarkably recovered in double quick time.
It was feared at first that he’d be out till the end of April, however, Derby’s medical team have fast-tracked his progress by using platelet therapy to help attach the ligament back to the bone.
Warne believes the medical team have taken his recovery from 12 weeks to just six by using this method, and he could now be in contention to make the squad for Blackpool.
After the Northampton defeat, the Derby boss was asked whether he’d be back for the Good Friday clash and responded: “I don’t think so.”
Now, journalist Dominic Dietrich has revealed he’ll be back to feature against the Tangerines with Mendez-Laing also set to be involved.
This is huge for Warne and Derby as their forward line looked depleted, but to hear the news of Collins and Mendez-Laing returning could be pivotal in the promotion race.
Derby’s deadly duo are key to promotion
The blow of losing Collins for an extended period was softened by the emergence of goal machine Gayle, who scored in three of his last four appearances.
With the veteran striker set to be sidelined for the next three weeks, Derby were light on options in the forward position, especially without Collins.
However, now he’s in contention to play against Blackpool, alongside the incredible Mendez-Laing, the Rams’ chances of promotion have just increased.
After losing to Northampton and watching their injury problems stack up, supporters weren’t as confident their side could achieve automatic promotion, however, with their deadly duo wreaking havoc up top, Warne has two game-changers to count upon and that could make all the difference.
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