Derby County manager Paul Warne has confirmed that defender Callum Elder will be out for the next two to three weeks after undergoing keyhole surgery on a hernia.
The left-back was not in the squad for Saturday’s 0-0 draw with Cambridge United at Pride Park as Derby were frustrated by the away side.
Warne confirmed that this has been an issue for the Australian for the last few weeks, but the pain became too much for him to continue without getting it sorted.
“He’s had a hernia on one side and he’s just been struggling with it,” Warne told the Derby Telegraph about Elder.
“He’s been uncomfortable and he’s felt it has got worse. He felt his performances were dropping because of it. He’s had keyhole surgery and will be out for two to three weeks. By the time we get back after the international break, he should be good to go,” said Warne.
“It was a sensible decision to make as there is no point playing him if he can’t move. It hasn’t been a training ground incident, it just got to the point where he was in too much pain to play.”
Callum Elder adds to Derby injury worries
This is another injury for Derby as they start to pile up.
Elder is joining an already hefty injury list, with the likes of Joe Ward, Tyreece John-Jules, Liam Thompson and Jake Rooney on the sidelines. There’s also Elliot Embleton, who has returned to Sunderland from his loan after picking up a thigh injury, which requires surgery.Warne has had players start to return from injury, with the likes of Max Bird coming on as a late substitute after recovering from an ankle injury.