After Matt Clarke and David Ozoh were added to the list of injured players, Derby County fans will head to Middlesbrough with hope but low expectations.
There are changes to consider for incoming head coach John Eustace, especially if Ozoh and Clarke are ruled out of the weekend game.
Two questions remain: who will replace Ozoh and who will replace Clarke after Nat Phillips’ absence from the last two games.
Callum Elder did not even make the squad last weekend, and with Curtis Nelson out for the season and Kane Wilson still recovering from a hamstring injury, there is a decreasing number of options.
Providing Eustace sticks with a three at the back, Craig Forsyth could well be primed for duty to slot in on the left side of the back three.
Ebou Adams would likely play as the midfield anchor to compensate for the loss of Ozoh, who has had rotten luck through injuries this season.
Kenzo Goudmijn’s form continues to be a concern and the Dutchman has yet to recapture the early season sparkle that saw him make an impressive start to the campaign.
You wonder whether Harrison Armstrong could come into the reckoning having yet to make his first start since his loan move from Everton.
He could play as a number eight, but it just depends as to whether Eustace feels he has the experience neccesary given all the game from now until the end of the season come under the tag of must win.
In theory, Eustace could play Goudmijn and Armstrong, but it would be an inexperienced pair which might tempt him to play Harness through the middle of the pitch, a role he has carried out this season.
The big concern for Derby is where the goals are going to come from and the wingbacks will have to be far better in terms of delivering crosses into the box than they were last weekend against Millwall.
You would expect Jerry Yates and Lars-Jorgen Salvesen to continue up front particularly while Kemar Roofe continues to find his feet after signing as a free agent last Thursday.
But they are going to need service of which they have often been deprived in what has been a poor campaign in terms of scoring from open play.
Derby predicted (3-5-2): Zetterstrom; Jackson, Nyambe, Langas, Forsyth, Osborn; Adams, Armstrong, Harness; Yates and Salvesen
