Derby boss Paul Warne has ruled out Norwich City loanee Tony Spingett with an ankle injury sustained in training, ahead of the ‘six-pointer’ game against Ipswich Town this Saturday.Â
With the season coming to an end as we approach the final months, the Rams will be without Springett for the upcoming games, with the damage estimated to keep him out of action for two to three weeks.
Signing in the January transfer window on a loan from Championship side Norwich, the 20-year-old has regularly been used as fresh legs off the bench during his time at Derby.
The Irishman suffered the injury in Tuesday’s training session, after colliding in a challenge with defender Eiran Cashin.
With a scan set to go ahead to determine the exact extent of the damage, the forward was an unused substitute in Derby’s 2-0 defeat to Peterborough last weekend and is now set to spend more time on the sidelines.
Midfielder Jason Knight is set to return from international duty for the game against fellow promotion hunters Ipswich, as Springett is the only man set to miss the game through injury.
Derby currently holds the last playoff spot in League One, with a host of teams chasing them down for one of the places. With the gap between them and the automatic promotion spots now at 15 points, the Rams will likely have to go through the playoff in order to return to the Championship.
Speaking to DerbyshireLive ahead of the clash on Saturday afternoon, Warne said: “Tony Springett damaged his ankle in a challenge with Cash in training on Tuesday, He will be out for two to three weeks, although that is just a guess. He is having a scan today.
“I will know a bit more after that. It’s sad for the kid and I am disappointed for him.”
Writer’s View
Spingetts’s time at Derby has been a little disappointing so far, with the former Premier League player not being able to hit the ground with his appearances off the bench.
With no goal contributors yet and the season quickly coming to a close, the forward may struggle to get back to match fitness before the end of the season, and may have to wait for a move in the Summer to show his ability again.
