Derby have been dealt an injury blow with the news that defender Craig Forsyth has ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee and is set for another lengthy absence.
Forsyth, 27, suffered the injury during the goalless draw with Aston Villa at the iPro Stadium on Saturday and it is the Scotland international's second serious knee injury in the space of 10 months.
It is the same injury which forced him to miss a large part of last season and the left-back only made his first competitive appearance since November in this month's EFL Cup first-round victory over Grimsby.
"This is incredibly unfortunate and disappointing news for Craig," Derby boss Nigel Pearson told the club's official website.
"He worked incredibly hard to get back to fitness for the start of preseason training and had done well in the early-season games.
"He will have all the support and encouragement that he needs from everyone at the club during his rehabilitation work.
"He is a tremendous character and a popular member of the squad. We're certainly not putting a timeframe on when he will be back, but what is of paramount importance is that he returns once again to be an important member of our squad.
"It's a blow from a team perspective as well but right now all we're concerned about is Craig and his well-being."
Forsyth, who is due to undergo surgery in the coming days, has scored Derby's only league goal so far this season -- heading an 87th-minute winner in a 1-0 victory at Preston last week.
He has made 131 appearances for the Rams since joining the club from Watford in 2013.