Derby County assistant manager Richie Barker has revealed that Paul Warne could have two key players back for tomorrow’s clash against Wycombe Wanderers.
Derby County watched Bolton Wanderers move one point behind them by securing a 2-0 victory over Bristol Rovers at the weekend.
Extra pressure has now been piled onto the Rams ahead of their clash against Wycombe Wanderers, with Paul Warne knowing that any slip-up at this stage could be costly in their pursuit of automatic promotion.
Derby were last in action last Tuesday as they drew 2-2 against Portsmouth. Warne’s men must follow that up with three points against the Chair Boys, who will no doubt be feeling down after their EFL Trophy final loss to Peterborough United.
Ahead of tomorrow night’s clash, the visitors have nine players still nursing injuries, however, two of their first-team stars could return to the squad.
Derby County duo could return to the squad vs Wycombe
Derby currently have several key players on the sidelines, including Ryan Nyambe, Callum Elder and Dwight Gayle. Luckily, with the big squad he has to choose from and the timely return of James Collins, Warne hasn’t been heavily affected by injuries recently.
However, he could be boosted by the return of two players for their trip to London, with assistant manager Richie Barker providing a positive update on Max Bird and Tom Barkhuizen.
“Out of all the players who are out at the moment, the closest to being back are Tom Barkhuizen and Max Bird,” he told the Derby Telegraph. “Fozzie and Dwight are what you call the elder statesmen and they are a bit further away.”
Bird picked up a calf injury in the 3-0 win over Bristol Rovers in March while Barkhuizen has missed their last three League One matches.
Max Bird can cap off Derby County career with promotion
A graduate of Derby’s academy, Bird has been at the club since the age of nine.
During that time, the 23-year-old has amassed 198 appearances for the club, scoring nine and assisting 17 in all competitions.
Bird was sold to Bristol City on transfer deadline day, with the Robins loaning him back for the remainder of the campaign.
With a return from injury imminent, the midfield machine has the chance to cap off his Derby career by helping them get back into the Championship.
In doing so, it would be a fitting end to a successful time at the club, arriving as a boy and leaving as a man this summer.
The post 'At the moment...': Barker claims two key Derby County players could now return for Wycombe clash appeared first on Derby County News.