Derby County were always going to struggle against Sunderland, but the loss of one of their best players does not help matters at all.
Sunderland travel to Pride Park on Tuesday night looking to secure another crucial three points as they continue their quest for promotion.
Regis Le Bris’ side go into the game on the back of a goalless draw with fellow promotion candidates Burnley, which on paper looks a good result, but Sunderland feel they deserved more.
If you’re planning to watch Derby vs Sunderland, you may have been expecting to see another strong defensive showing, but the Rams will have to cope without a key player for the big battle.
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Curtis Nelson will miss Sunderland game through injury
As per Derby County’s official Twitter/X account, Paul Warne’s side will be without Curtis Nelson for the upcoming fixture.
Paul Warne said: “Our sympathies are with him, unfortunately his season is over. He has [suffered] severe knee damage so he’ll be out for a long period of time – he’s heartbroken, as you can imagine. He’s a real warrior, so it’s really sad for the dressing room and for all of us.”
Nelson has been ever-present for the Rams this season in the Championship, playing the full 90 minutes across all 27 games. He also didn’t miss a single minute of their promotion-winning season last year in League One.
With Derby struggling near the bottom of the Championship table, this injury is the last thing they needed, but it will have the Sunderland players licking their lips at the opportunity they may have now.
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Wilson Isidor must run riot among Derby defence and put penalty nightmare behind him
Wilson Isidor in particular will be keen to make an impact on the upcoming game, and put those penalty misses in the Burnley game firmly behind him.
The striker has been in great form this season, bagging eight goals for the Black Cats, but if he ever needed a good performance and a goal or two, now is the time.
With Nelson out, Derby’s backline has lost its lynchpin, and Isidor must exploit that uncertainty and cause chaos for the Rams with his pace and clever movement.
We expect Ezliezer Mayenda to return to the starting lineup for the Derby game, and if so, he and Isidor will surely be too much for Derby to deal with. Indeed, they probably would have been even if Derby did have Curtis Nelson in the team still.