Wayne Rooney has reiterated his confidence in Derby County’s players as they prepare for a busy month of action on the pitch in the Sky Bet Championship.
Derby will play six matches over the course of February as they look to continue to close the gap on the teams above the division’s relegation zone.
The club have had 21 points deducted this term because of entering administration and admitting to historical breaches of profitability and sustainability rules.
Despite that, the Rams’ players have battled admirably against the odds and have chipped away at their points total over recent months.
They have lost one of their last seven league games, claiming four wins and two draws in that time.
Seven points adrift of safety with 18 matches to play, next up for Derby is a Wednesday night trip to top six hopefuls Huddersfield Town (7:45pm kick-off).
“I believe in these players,” Rooney told RamsTV. “I think they have been incredible all season.
“I said after the 2-2 draw against Birmingham on Sunday that the performance certainly wasn’t good enough, but we got a point with two brilliant late goals and now we go again on Wednesday night.
“Huddersfield are having a good season. They’re a very energetic team, so we know we need to at least match that and play our way.
“I think if we play our way then we can cause them problems, but we need to make sure we match their energy. If we do that then I think we’ll have a good chance of taking something from the game.”
Polish international midfielder Krystian Bielik marked his return from a year out of action with a long-term knee injury in stunning fashion against Birmingham.
He came off the bench to score an acrobatic equaliser in the dying seconds to earn Rooney’s side a point, although he injured his shoulder in the process.
Bielik has since undergone a scan and the news is positive for the 24-year-old.
“Krystian’s issue isn’t as bad as first feared,” he explained. “He is probably 50/50 at this stage for the Huddersfield game so we might have to give him a little bit more time and wait to see where he’s at.
“You could see that during the minutes he was on the pitch. It was great to get him back out there. We all know how hard he has worked to get back fit and ready to be involved.”
Kamil Jozwiak, however, is set for a spell out of action after injuring his ankle in the first half of the draw against Birmingham.
The winger is due to get a specialist’s opinion to determine if he requires surgery or not.
“I don’t think it is a great one for Kamil,” Rooney said. “He went over on his ankle and is seeing a specialist to see if he requires any surgery or not.”
Striker Luke Plange has endured a busy couple of days both on and off the pitch.
He got the comeback started against Birmingham with a fine strike, while he sealed a Deadline Day transfer to Premier League side Crystal Palace on Monday night.
The 19-year-old, who has scored three goals in nine appearances, will spend the rest of the season on loan with the Rams before heading to Selhurst Park in the summer.
“As we have seen already in the few games he has played, I think he is improving in every game,” Rooney said.
“He is a goalscorer and I have no worries whatsoever about his attitude and his commitment to the team and he will do everything he can to help us get out of this situation.”
