Derby County manager Paul Warne says new signing Corey Blackett-Taylor should be fit to re-join the squad this week after missing the win over Charlton Athletic on Saturday.
The 26-year-old joined the Rams last month on loan from the Addicks with the view to a permanent move at the end of the season and made his debut as a substitute in the 1-0 defeat against Reading. He then started in a 2-1 win over Cheltenham Town, lasting just over an hour before he was withdrawn in place of Liam Thompson.
A return to The Valley was on the cards this past weekend, but he was ruled out after picking up a groin injury in training last week. Incidentally, Derby heaped more misery on the ailing Londoners, emerging with a 1-0 victory to extend Charlton’s winless run to 14 games.
However, it was a result which send Paul Warne’s side into the automatic promotion places for the first time this season after Bolton Wanderers could only muster a draw with fellow promotion-chasers Barnsley. The Trotters slipped to third as a result, one point behind the East Midlands outfit, although they do have two games in hand.
Following the game, Warne revealed that Blackett-Taylor was always pencilled in to miss the weekend’s clash due to only recently having joined from the same club. Speaking to Derbyshire Live, the 50-year-old said:
“He felt his groin in training on Monday and he hasn’t trained enough since to be a part of it. Weirdly, I had no intention of playing him here because I just didn’t think he’d have a good game after just joining us from Charlton.”
It doesn’t appear to be anything too serious though, with the attacker set to re-join the squad for training this week:
“I thought it may become too much, so we didn’t rush anything this week and hopefully he will join back in with the group next week.”
Derby host Shrewsbury Town at Pride Park on Saturday but could find themselves out of the top two before then, with Bolton travelling to Cambridge United tomorrow night.
Writer’s View
This is a boost for Paul Warne, especially considering the news that fellow winger Nathaniel Mendez-Laing is set for a spell on the sidelines after picking up an injury at The Valley. The 31-year-old will undergo an X-Ray to discover if he has broken a bone in his foot.
Blackett-Taylor has the ability to be the difference maker in the latter stages of the season, having been one of the few shining lights at Charlton this season. He will be hoping to return to the matchday squad this weekend as he chases his first goal for the club.
