Paul Warne’s options in his squad have taken a hit after the Derby County boss revealed yet another new fitness concern.
Following the draw with Oxford, the manager stated that defender Ryan Nyambe is set to miss four-to-six months through a knee injury.
A PCL (Posterior cruciate ligament) issue will keep the right-back out of action for most of the season, coming as a huge blow to the Rams.
It leaves Warne scratching his head over potential replacements for the Namibian international, who has been solid at the back since his arrival at Derby on a free transfer in September 2023.
While Kane Wilson appears to be the most likely deputy, there is also Joe Ward, who is yet to get another crack at regular Championship football.
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Derby County must look at Joe Ward reintroduction
It’s been a tough few months for Ward, who picked up a big injury at the end of last season, which filtered into the current campaign.
The full-back hasn’t had a full pre-season and has had to build up his fitness through playing minutes for the under-21s.
That slow reintroduction has seen him play just 15 minutes for Derby in the Championship so far, making short cameo appearances.
However, with Nyambe now on the injury table, there is more urgency to get back into the team and firing.
While Wilson offers a ball-carrying threat on the right, Ward brings with him a quality delivery that very few others have in the team – perhaps with the exception of Ben Osborn on the left.
In home games, Wilson may be the better option for driving the team forward, but when quality is lacking away from home, it makes sense to bring the best crosser of the ball into the team.
That could coincide with a change in formation on the road, switching to a back three and releasing Ward as a wing-back without the concerns over defending.
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Ryan Nyambe will be hard for Derby County to replace
While Ward and Wilson are both capable options to play on the right, both of them are slightly different in style to Nyambe.
The former Blackburn and Wigan defender was capable of locking a flank down completely by himself, denying any attacking opposition threat.
That is hard to replace, with the other two offering slightly more attacking upside but trading some of that defensive stability for it.
There is the returning Jake Rooney available in the near future as the youngster looks to make his way back to full fitness after another injury concern.
However, there is no guarantee that he can fulfil that role to the same extent in a league as tough as the Championship.
It remains to be seen exactly how Warne looks to solve the conundrum at right-back, but he has some options that are natural in that position at least.