Paul Warne shares devastating Derby County blow as David Ozoh suffers injury ‘setback’

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Paul Warne has shared a devastating update on Derby County midfielder David Ozoh as he suffers a setback in his injury recovery.

Derby County have been without David Ozoh since he suffered a hamstring injury in the 1-0 win over Cardiff City in September.

The 19-year-old has missed six Championship matches as a result but Ozoh was expected to return to action during the international break.

Ozoh – who was previously described as a ‘big player’ by Sam Parkin – was close to featuring in the 1-1 draw against Millwall last weekend, as fans’ excitement began to grow.

However, the Crystal Palace loanee was ruled out of the 1-1 draw against Oxford United and now Paul Warne has revealed a huge setback in his recovery.

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Paul Warne shares devastating David Ozoh injury update

Ozoh was once described as a ‘gifted’ player by Patrick Vieira, who handed him his first-team debut at Selhurst Park.

The midfield powerhouse showcased such talent in his first five Derby matches and currently ranks joint-second in the Championship for most tackles won per game (3.8), as per Sofascore.

Supporters have been denied the chance to watch the teenagers’ dominance continue and sadly, they could be waiting a while longer.

Just as he was preparing to feature in a matchday squad after coming towards the end of his recovery programme, Warne has confirmed that Ozoh has damaged his quad and won’t return till after the next international break in November.

Speaking to BBC Sport Derby, Warne said: “He’s had a setback. I was partially aware of it on Tuesday but I didn’t know the severity so I wasn’t going to come out after the game and say; it wasn’t the time either.

“He has had a setback, he’s damaged his quad, which is disappointing because that was his last day. He had two last days with the physical team before he joined the squad training today.

“So, we definitely won’t see him before the international break, that’s for sure, so that is a massive blow.

“He’s obviously devastated because realistically by the time he comes back, that’s two and a half months we’ve been without him.”

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When Ozoh could return for Derby

Following an absence of six Championship matches, he could miss another five games, providing he’s fit to return straight after the international break, including clashes against Hull City, Stoke, Coventry, Plymouth and Preston.

As Warne stated, once he is available at the end of November, he will have missed around two and a half months of action and will require time to get back up to speed.

Ozoh’s physical presence and driving runs have been sorely missed in Derby’s midfield, especially away from home, with the Rams still yet to taste victory on their travels.

Hopefully, once the young midfielder recovers from his latest setback, he will have a clean bill of health for the rest of his loan spell.