Derby County host Wrexham at Pride Park on Saturday with a lengthy injury list complicating their search for a first league win in over a month. The Rams sit 22nd in the Championship with just five points from eight games, a run that includes three defeats and a draw in their last four outings.
Manager John Eustace said he will "hope the enforced pause has been kind to his squad ahead of Saturday's Championship meeting with Wrexham." The international break has done little to ease a severe defensive crisis, with several key players still sidelined.
Derby County team news
Goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterstrom remains out with a knee injury, meaning Josh Vickers will continue between the posts. In defence, left-back Charlie Taylor is facing months out with a hamstring problem, while Derry Murkin is not expected back until Christmas after surgery. Centre-back Matt Clarke, last season's player of the year, is still around four weeks away from returning from a calf issue. Long-serving defender Craig Forsyth is also recovering from knee surgery.
Further forward, attacker Filip Bilbija is battling a back injury but could return sooner than others. Striker Patrick Agyemang is back in training after a ruptured Achilles but is not yet ready. The sole positive is that Henrik Meister, who suffered a concussion against Birmingham, has trained and is in contention.
Wrexham outlook
Wrexham arrive at Pride Park in 14th place, buoyed by a 2-1 home win over Southampton in their last match before the break. Managed by Phil Parkinson, they were thrashed 6-0 by West Ham in their previous away fixture. Their last visit to Derby in January ended in a 2-1 victory for the Welsh side.
Derby's recent form shows just one win in their last five league games, a 2-0 victory at Portsmouth. Their last outing was a 1-1 draw at Burnley, where Mohammed Fuseini scored a late equaliser. The task now is to stop the slide down the standings. Josh Vickers will start in goal for Derby County against Wrexham this Saturday.
