Derby have been dealt a double injury blow with the news that Lee Grant and Jamie Ward could both be out for around six weeks.
Goalkeeper Grant faces at least a month on the sidelines after scans revealed he suffered a suspected fracture just above his ankle during Saturday's 3-0 win at Reading. The 31-year-old managed to finish the game but is now expected to be out for between four and six weeks.Rams head coach Steve McClaren has agreed a deal for Stoke's England Under-21 keeper Jack Butland to join the club on a one-month emergency loan deal as cover for Grant.
Meanwhile, Ward was forced off with a thigh strain at the Madejski Stadium and the forward will also be absent for somewhere in the region of a month to six weeks.
"Both players picked up injuries at Reading and they are being assessed," McClaren told the club's official website.
"We're looking at around four to six weeks with both of them. We have a squad and this is why. Players are going to have to step into the fold. Injuries aren't ideal but they are part of football."