Confirmed: Derby County suffer big player blow ahead of Coventry City | OneFootball

Rams supporters will have to wait to see their new star make his Derby debut.

Derby County have been handed a major injury blow ahead of their clash with Coventry City this weekend, as Liverpool loanee Owen Beck is set to be sidelined until after the first international break of the season.

The Rams will go in search of their first league win of the 2025/26 season on Saturday, when they welcome the Sky Blues to Pride Park for a lunchtime kick-off.

In the two games they've played so far in all competitions, Derby fell to a 3-1 defeat against Stoke City on Championship opening weekend, before scraping past West Brom on penalties in the League Cup in midweek.

Derby County suffer Owen Beck injury blow ahead of Coventry City meeting

County have enjoyed a strong summer transfer window so far, with John Eustace making numerous moves to bolster his playing squad significantly.

Dion Sanderson, Bobby Clark, Rhian Brewster, Patrick Agyemang and Carlton Morris are some of the new faces at Pride Park, but the Rams faithful will have to wait before they get their first glimpse of another of their new recruits.

Attack-minded left-back Owen Beck reunited with Eustace - who signed him for Blackburn last term - this summer, agreeing a season-long loan deal from Liverpool.

The Wales youth international will be hoping to push veteran left-sided defenders Craig Forsyth and Callum Elder for a place in the Derby starting XI this season, but that's going to have to wait for now.

That's because a report on Thursday from BBC Derby Sport's senior sports journalist, Dominic Dietrich via X, has revealed that Beck is unlikely to feature for his new club before the first international break of the 25/26 season.

That will take place from 1-9 September, with the latest set of World Cup qualification games taking place during that time period.

Derby won't want to rush Beck's recovery - he could be vital to Rams success this season

As previously referred to, Derby aren't blessed with youthful options aside from Beck at the left-back spot.

Indeed, Forsyth is now 36, and despite making over 40 appearances in all competitions for the club last season, it remains unclear just how many more gruelling EFL campaigns he's got left in him.

Meanwhile, Elder has now reached the 30 mark too, and has only featured 26 and 30 times respectively in all competitions over the two campaigns he's been a Derby player since joining from Hull in the summer of 2023.

Therefore, keeping Beck, 23, fit and firing this season could be vital for Derby.

Not only because he's evidently a player with plenty of talent and potential having developed through Liverpool's fabled academy system, and making his debut for the club all the way back in the 2021/22 season, but because Eustace may find himself in desperate need of some youthful energy in that department this year.

So, as frustrating as this injury setback will be for Rams supporters, they will understand that in these early days of the season in particular, taking extra caution when it comes to managing the injury timetables of players like Beck will be so important.

Patience could really be a virtue for Derby here.