Derby County could be set to have two key players return to action with the end of the League One season in sight.
Paul Warne’s team are second in the league and one point ahead of promotion rivals Bolton Wanderers with just four games remaining.
The Trotters do not play until the weekend when they face leaders Portsmouth, giving Derby the chance to move four points clear should they win tomorrow.
Having a break over the weekend, they play EFL Trophy runners-up Wycombe Wanderers at Adams Park, County could be buoyed by the return of two starting players.
Assistant Coach Richie Barker confirmed in the club’s pre-match press conference that both Max Bird and Tom Barkhuizen could be seen in Buckinghamshire, adding (Quotes via Derby Telegraph): “Out of all the players who are out at the moment, the closest to being back are Tom Barkhuizen and Max Bird. Fozzie (Craig Forsyth) and Dwight (Gayle) are what you call the elder statesmen and they are a bit further away.”
Both have suffered from calf injuries over recent weeks, with midfielder Bird not appearing for the club since a 3-0 win over Port Vale at the start of March.
Winger Barkhuizen was substituted at half-time during Derby’s vital 1-0 win over Bolton, ending a run of 14-straight appearances in matches, with his last absence coming in the EFL Trophy loss to Bradford City.
The Rams have picked up a fairly lengthy injury list which also includes Callum Elder, Joe Ward, Ryan Nyambe, Tyreece John-Jules and Jake Rooney.
The Pride Park club are in fine form, having only lost once since the start of March in a narrow loss to Northampton Town at Sixfields.
Derby also have to play Leyton Orient, Cambridge United and already-relegated Carlisle United before they find out if they have gained promotion back to the Championship after two years away.
Writer’s View
Both Tom Barkhuizen and Max Bird being on the verge of returning is big news for Derby County. The loss of the winger dictated a formation switch for Paul Warne to use a 4-4-2 instead of a 3-4-3. Having both back for the final games will strengthen a side on the verge of gaining automatic promotion and gives Max Bird the chance to play a few more times for his boyhood club before moving to Bristol City next season.
Wycombe will be looking to bounce back from their heartbreaking loss against Peterborough United at Wembley. The Chairboys have nothing left to play for though, so will likely already have one eye looking towards next season. Derby are firm favourites for this clash.
Football journalist with The Real EFL since 2023. A 2024 Multimedia Journalism graduate from the University of Salford, Lewis specialises in Salford City FC and EFL coverage.
