Derby County’s Stephen Bywater is injured
Derby County were dealt a blow after their goalkeeper Stephen Bywater was injured in training.
The player is expected to miss at least one month of action, but could be out for longer after he fractured his wrist.
The goalkeeper was examined by a specialist and the results showed that Bywater had sustained a small fracture of the wrist after he fell badly during a training session.
The Derby County manager Nigel Clough said, "It was one of those freakish things that could keep him out as long as three months or as little as four weeks."
The loss of Bywater will be a significant blow for Derby County. The club is currently in 14th position in the League Championship.
Bywater has been instrumental in Derby picking up 12 points from 10 games and the club is only four points off the promotion places.
The 29-year-old goalkeeper’s injury could ruin Derby’s push for promotion, particularly if the player takes longer than expected to recover.
Clough has already suggested that he would look for a replacement and said, "We have a competent number two in Saul Deeney, but we will still need cover, but experienced keepers are difficult to come by. We're going to try and bring one in on loan for a
minimum of 28 days.”
However, Derby may find it difficult to find a player to fill the void left by Bywater and if Deeney is selected his lack of experience and match practice will cause Clough to be concerned.
The manager remained unsure who he will start with as his number one if he manages to recruit a new goalkeeper. Clough said, "They might play instead of Saul or I might give Saul his chance."
Bywater who has been in great form for Derby this season will be badly missed.
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