Crystal Palace loanee and Derby County star, David Ozoh, is set for a lengthy period on the sidelines after suffering an injury setback, on the day of his expected return from an initial hamstring injury.
According to BBC Sport Derby reporter, Dominic Dietrich, on X, Ozoh will now miss at least a month of football after the 19-year-old suffered a fresh quad injury on the day that the midfielder was expected to return from his hamstring issue.
Ozoh made an impression in his brief time at Pride Park so far
People within Crystal Palace have clearly held high hopes for exciting academy midfielder, David Ozoh, from a tender age with the teenager currently Crystal Palace’s youngest-ever Premier League appearance maker at just 17 years old.
Ozoh recorded thirteen senior appearances for the Eagles but made his first venture outside of South London this summer, joining Championship new boys, Derby County on a season-long loan.
The 19-year-old Crystal Palace loanee made a fast start to life with the Rams, starting all five of their opening Championship games, notably netting an impressive goal against Bristol City before being forced off the field back in September with a hamstring injury that the teenager is yet to return from.
Amid reports that the promising teenager will be forced to wait up to another month to return to action, fans were left gutted, although it did speak to Ozoh’s impressive start to his loan with Derby with one fan stating on X:
“Big shame, we are massively missing him. It’s always a risk signing players who haven’t played consistently week in week out. Here we are seeing the result. Some player, though.”
Another fan concluded: “Gutted for him, We look an absolute powerhouse in midfield when he plays, He just oozes class”.
A new quad injury is set to sideline Ozoh for another month
The fresh injury blow dealt to Ozoh will be one that the Valencia-born midfielder is feeling incredibly frustrated at, especially considering Derby’s poor form in his absence; picking up just one win in their last six games.
Ozoh himself was described as “a bit down in the dumps” by manager Paul Warne after his initial hamstring injury, an issue that has seen the Premier League loanee miss six games and over a month of action. (Derbyshire Live)
A new issue, this time to his quad, will undoubtedly only further frustrate Ozoh is reportedly set to miss at least another month.
What fixtures will Ozoh miss?
David Ozoh’s injury setback is likely to see him sidelined until at least after the international break according to Derby manager, Paul Warne, which would likely see the 19-year-old ruled out for all five up County’s upcoming Championship fixtures.
The most notable of the games are undoubtedly the latter two where Derby faces relegation-threatened, Plymouth Argyle and Preston North End.
Derby County were many people’s favourites for the drop at the start of the Championship season, however, an impressive clutch of victories means the Rams currently sit 14th in the league.
Survival will likely remain the pivotal objective for Derby County’s season however with a result against either Plymouth or Preston a monumental step towards safety, even in the early stages of the season.
Although, barring a miraculous recovery, Derby will be forced to play both those crucial clashes without midfield powerhouse, David Ozoh, who is currently expected to watch both fixtures from the sidelines., despite being a matter of days away from returning to action.