Derby County player exit could spell very good news for one man in particular | OneFootball

The veteran centre-back joined Wycombe Wanderers on loan on Monday, and it clears a path for Jake Rooney in the coming weeks.

Derby County will be looking forward to their FA Cup third round clash with Leyton Orient on Saturday, as they look to put a poor run of form behind them.

The Rams have lost their last three games in the Championship, and have slipped closer to the relegation zone after they had started to make strides towards the top half of the table.

Paul Warne needs positive results to start coming quickly, and this weekend will offer him the chance for this to happen against a team who his side beat 3-0 twice in League One last season as the East Midlands outfit won promotion from League One.

Derby will definitely be without Sonny Bradley, who scored twice in the latter of those victories in 2023/24, for their match against The O's, after he joined Wycombe Wanderers on loan until the end of the campaign. However, it does pave the way for a returning star to make an impact.

Jake Rooney looks likely to take Bradley's place this weekend

It will be hard to predict Warne's team ahead of their trip to Gaughan Group Stadium on Saturday, but Eiran Cashin will be missing from the squad after he picked up a hamstring injury in the Rams' 4-0 win over Portsmouth last month.

Therefore, Curtis Nelson and Nat Phillips are the only two out-and-out centre-backs that the 51-year-old has at his disposal, but Jake Rooney could find his way onto the bench as the next best option.

He made his return to the matchday squad on New Year's Day following over 400 days out of action after an ACL injury. The 21-year-old last appeared for Derby in September 2023 against Bolton Wanderers, and although he was building his fitness back up in the summer, he suffered a setback.

The cousin of England and Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney, the youngster is a popular character at Pride Park, and there is a lot of excitement surrounding him as he comes back from an incredibly difficult time in his career.

He has the potential to become a key part of Warne's plans in the coming years, with his versatility a key part of his game. Able to operate at right-back, centre-back and holding midfield when needed, the former Burnley academy star's involvement will be even greater now that Bradley has departed the club.

Derby will be boosted by multiple returns from injury in January

Bradley's exit does make space in the squad for new players to be registered, and although there will be a desire to see new signings this month, there will be plenty of players returning from injury to boost the team.

Cashin, David Ozoh and Ryan Nyambe are all expected to be back in training following the game against Leyton Orient, and although there is no specific date for them to come back into the team, there is the knowledge that they are coming back to full fitness.

Coupled in with Rooney being back in the matchday squad, there is plenty to be excited about for Derby supporters, and Warne may just be able to turn the tide on results and get his team pushing back towards mid-table in the next few weeks.