Derby County Faces Tough Test Against West Ham United

Derby County will walk into the London Stadium knowing this is as tough as it gets in pre-season. West Ham United, title favourites and fresh from sweeping aside Wolves in midweek, are waiting in the capital. Derby arrive with momentum after a hard-earned win at Portsmouth on Tuesday night – but also with a treatment room that is far too busy for John Eustace’s liking.

There is some balance to the picture. Three deadline-day signings – Eiran Cashin, Mohammed Fuseini and David Ozoh – are now available to be drafted into the squad. They will be needed. Derby’s injury list is starting to shape the story of their summer.

Here is how it looks ahead of the trip to West Ham.

Carlton Morris

Derby are without their main striker. Carlton Morris suffered a calf problem in the 2-2 draw with Cardiff City and has not featured since, missing both the defeat to Swansea and the victory at Portsmouth.

Eustace expects to be without him for around two weeks. It is not a long-term absence, but it strips Derby of a focal point just as the level of opposition spikes.

Craig Forsyth

The image said it all. Craig Forsyth, the veteran defender, helped from the pitch in the second half against Portsmouth, the concern etched on faces around him.

Eustace did not sugar-coat it afterwards. “It doesn’t look good,” he admitted, adding that Forsyth was “not very comfortable” in the dressing room and praising his “experience and know-how” in what had been a standout display. Derby will learn more when Eustace faces the media in his pre-West Ham press conference, but the early signs are worrying for a player whose leadership has underpinned the back line.

Lewis Travis

The captain is another major doubt. Lewis Travis took a heavy knock in the second half of the 3-0 defeat to Swansea and was forced off late on. He then sat out the win over Portsmouth.

Derby have sent him for a scan to assess the damage. The club will not take risks with their skipper, and Eustace is certain to be pressed for clarity on his availability before the weekend.

Derry Murkin

Derry Murkin’s year has already been a stop-start story. The full-back underwent minor back surgery and has not played since the 2-1 defeat to Norwich in April.

He pushed hard through the summer, joined in an open training session before the first game of the season and was even named in an under-21s squad against Hull City. Then the setback hit. A hamstring injury forced him to withdraw, and Eustace confirmed last week that Murkin faces around four months out.

It is a bitter blow after an impressive start to life at Derby following his January move from Utrecht. Murkin has tried to reset the narrative himself, posting on Instagram that the “Road to recovery starts now” and joking that staying fit “would be nice”. For now, though, Derby must plan without him deep into the autumn.

Matt Clarke

Matt Clarke is another long-term absentee. The defender came off at half-time in the Carabao Cup defeat to Lincoln City with a calf issue and was later seen in a protective boot. He missed the opening-day loss to Charlton and the draw with Cardiff.

Before that Cardiff game, Eustace confirmed the scale of the setback: Clarke is expected to be out for around 12 weeks. The head coach called it “a huge blow”, grouping Clarke with Patrick Agyemang as two “hugely influential” figures now sidelined.

Eustace has been clear about how Derby must respond. Someone else has to step up. The message from the manager is a “no-excuse culture”, a demand that the squad “roll their sleeves up” and give everything, regardless of who is missing.

Patrick Agyemang

Patrick Agyemang’s absence stretches back to April but still looms large. The USA international ruptured his Achilles in the win over Stoke City, an injury that not only ended his season but also ruled him out of the World Cup.

The £5.8m striker, a revelation at Pride Park last season, has been working at Moor Farm through the summer, steadily building his fitness. Derby will not rush him. The expectation remains that he will be out until December or January, and his return will be treated as a major mid-season boost rather than an immediate solution.

So Derby head to West Ham patched up, reinforced by new signings but stripped of key experience and firepower. This is the kind of afternoon that tests a squad’s depth and a manager’s convictions. Eustace has already laid down his stance: no excuses. Now his players have to live it.