John Eustace has one clear Derby County issue that must be fixed next season | OneFootball

The Rams have struggled with injuries all season, and they must find a solution to this in the summer.

Derby County have just five games left in the 2024/25 season, and after just one defeat in their last six matches, their chances of surviving in the Championship are starting to grow.

The Rams looked lost before the arrival of John Eustace after Paul Warne was sacked in February, but four successive wins in the league saw them climb out of the bottom three. Despite being beaten by Swansea City on Saturday, they did not lose their momentum, and picked up a vital point against high-flying Burnley on Tuesday evening.

The East Midlands outfit came incredibly close to picking up what would have been a well-earned victory had Matt Clarke left a late chance for Jerry Yates instead of taking on the header himself, but, nevertheless, they will be pleased with a 0-0 draw against the side that were at the top of the table heading into the game.

However, Derby supporters will be worried about the fact that £4m defender Sondre Langas was forced to come off in the second half, with the Norwegian already playing through the pain barrier due to a knee injury.

Eustace has a problem with keeping his players fit and ready in his team at this moment in time, and he must seek a solution in the summer to this issue.

Derby have to find a way to stop their constant injury problems

It's a situation that has persisted throughout this season, with Paul Warne also finding it tough to have a full selection week-in-week-out, and it is clear that the Rams have to find a change once this campaign comes to an end.

Langas' problem will be another worry for Eustace, who currently has six players confirmed to be out of action for the rest of the season, while the likes of Ben Osborn, Corey Blackett-Taylor and Callum Elder are also sidelined.

Part of Derby's problems come from the fact that their squad is relatively old, with 11 of their players over 30.

The constant barrage of matches in the Championship means that there is not much time for rest between games, and the Rams are suffering because of this. Lowering the average age of the team will help, and Eustace will be keen to bring in his own signings once the transfer window opens up to help this.

Derby have brought in three free agents in the last couple of months to help plug the gaps due to injuries, with Erik Pieters, Jeff Hendrick and Kemar Roofe all joining, but the latter has also found himself in the treatment room - leading to further questions about recruitment this season.

Derby must find a way to stay competitive and protect their players in their last five games

With just five matches left in the 2024/25 campaign, the Rams know the task that they have at hand to stay in the Championship and avoid an instant return to League One.

They face trips to Portsmouth, West Bromwich Albion and Hull City while they still have two home games to go with fellow relegation-threatened sides Luton Town and Stoke City visiting Pride Park Stadium.

If they can hold their nerve and see out this season safely, then they will be in an excellent position to make the changes that they need to their squad, but they will be hoping to do so without further injuries.

Eustace has been relatively settled with his starting XI over the last few weeks, and this looks to be helping, with players becoming more conditioned due to the number of minutes they are playing. However, there will still be fears over those who are particularly injury-prone, like Liam Thompson, as the final day approaches.