Derby County must hope Paul Warne is right with Crystal Palace transfer prediction | OneFootball

David Ozoh is nearing a return from injury, and Warne has said that he does not expect the midfielder to return to his parent club.

Derby County have struggled with consistency throughout the 2024/25 campaign, and their away form has continued to cause issues for them.

Their 4-2 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday on New Year's Day showed just how vulnerable they can be when attacked with pace, and their midfield found it tough to protect the defence on numerous occasions.

Injuries have been the story of the Rams' season so far, and Paul Warne has been left without some of his key stars on an almost weekly basis since winning promotion to the Championship last April.

This includes David Ozoh, with the Crystal Palace loanee last playing in September. He suffered a hamstring injury in Derby's 1-0 win over Cardiff City at Pride Park, and following another issue with his calf in October, there have been fears about his future. However, his manager has eased any worries of him returning to London sooner than anticipated.

Warne's Ozoh revelation is excellent news for Derby

It's been an incredibly frustrating season so far for Ozoh, after he showed great promise in his first few weeks as a Rams player.

His team played their best football while he was in the starting XI, and it is clear that they are missing his strength next to Ebou Adams. His presence also allowed Kenzo Goudmijn the freedom to manoeuvre across the pitch, and he has been missed.

However, Warne did reveal that he is nearing a return, and he will be back on the grass following Derby's FA Cup tie with Leyton Orient on 11 January. The 19-year-old will feel like a new signing due to how long he has been out of action, and his impact will be felt straight away.

The Rams' manager also stated before the East Midlands side's defeat to Sheffield Wednesday that because his return date is this month and not February, he expects him to stay at Pride Park to see out the season.

This is incredibly important because if he did return to Crystal Palace, then the 51-year-old would have had to search for a replacement, something that would only waste time as Derby aim to bring in more firepower for their forward line.

Ozoh has more than enough talent to fit straight back into the team when he is fully fit, but he will need to be brought back carefully, and once he hits full stride, then there will be no looking back.

Ozoh returning will unlock Goudmijn once again

Derby have operated with a mixed midfield over the course of this season, and Warne has been forced to adapt on more than one occasion.

Ben Osborn, Liam Thompson and Marcus Harness have all filled in, and despite success for each at times, they have not quite reached the level that Ozoh did in his first five appearances in black-and-white.

His strength more than matches that of Adams, but he perhaps has slightly more quality on the ball, and this will allow Goudmijn to operate without the fear of feeling like he is alone in trying to create quality chances from midfield.

Rams fans will be looking forward to the return of the teenage dynamo, but he must be integrated slowly to avoid any further setbacks as Derby fight against relegation.