Derby County head coach Paul Warne has provided an update on three players following Wednesday night’s goalless draw away at Wycombe Wanderers.
The Rams suffered another blip in their hopes of returning to the Championship yesterday by failing to break the deadlock at Adams Park against a Wycombe team that were still suffering from dejection after losing 2-1 in the EFL Trophy final at Wembley on Sunday.
Warne’s side dominated the ball, boasting 55% of the possession during the game, but failed to register a single shot on target from seven attempts. The Derby manager used all his attacking tools, starting with top goalscorer James Collins and Conor Washington up top, before eventually bringing on Tom Barkhuizen and Martyn Waghorn. Unfortunately, nobody could find that all-important goal.
One man missing from the squad was Joe Ward. The 28-year-old was the hero for Derby County last week at Fratton Park as his brace almost sealed three points for the Rams before Owen Moxon’s wonder-strike from range rescued a draw for Portsmouth.
Owen Moxon with a worldie to draw Portsmouth level
What a way to score your first goal for the club!#pompey
— The Real EFL (@RealEFLSocial) April 2, 2024
Those two goals on the south coast were Ward’s first of the season. However, the former Peterborough United man couldn’t follow this display up with another as he was absent from the squad with a swollen knee.
Speaking to club media after the game on Wednesday, Warne provided an update on Ward as well as Max Bird and Barkhuizen who have had their own injury concerns in recent weeks.
“Joe’s [Ward] knee is still swollen and I think we missed him tonight. Whether he will be OK for the weekend, I honestly don’t know yet because he is still sore and his knee is still swollen.
“Birdy is back on the grass and whether he will be available on Saturday, I don’t know. Tom Barkhuizen is back a little bit early, maybe that’s more of a risk then we’d usually take but it’s that stage of the season now.”
Writer’s View
Last night’s result has left huge ramifications in the title and automatic promotion races. Should Portsmouth beat Bolton Wanderers and Barnsley in their next two matches, they will finally be crowned champions of League One.
Meanwhile, Derby County have now hindered their own chances of returning to the second tier since Bolton have a game in hand, although they still have to play Pompey this weekend. To ensure a finish inside the top two, the Rams must win their final three matches of the campaign. Having players back fit will help this significantly.
