The grey cloud hanging over Debry County got a little bit gloomier on Thursday afternoon as John Eustace conducted his press conference ahead of Friday’s home clash with Bolton.

Now, with Derby seven points adrift inside the relegation zone in the Championship, it’s been revealed that Sammie Szmodics has needed surgery on his knee and will be out for six weeks.

It’s a devastating blow for Eustace, who is clinging to his Pride Park position by the skin of his teeth, with the creative spark now going to be missing for a pivotal period in the Rams’ season.

Derby lost 4-0 at home to Norwich in midweek, with the supporters voting with their feet and most of them leaving when the Canaries scored their third goal before half-time.

There are now questions for Eustace to answer ahead of tomorrow’s game, and it will be fascinating to see how he manages to replace Szmodics.

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Without Szmodics operating in the half-spaces of floating behind the central striker and tormenting opposition defenders, Derby lose their primary pressing trigger higher up the pitch. Szmodics excels off the ball, and his work rate and late arrivals into the box will be sorely missed.

Eustace will likely use Szmodics’ absence to shit to a more rigid, traditional setup. Derby are expected to rely more heavily on wide men, and someone like Corey Blackett-Taylor could come in to bring some width to the team’s play.

Road ahead: Crucial fixtures for Derby before mid-December return

The timing for Eustace couldn’t be much worse. He desperately needs results to keep the owner from his door and the P45 being placed on his table in the coming weeks.

Without his top talisman there is a sense that the writing could now be on the wall for the head coach, and Szmodics will miss some seriously big matches for the Rams.

With Szmodics missing for six weeks it give a real headache to the boss. He now needs someone like Carlton Morris to really step up in his absence, but even then, he’s not considered a similar sort of player and surely Eustace will have to tweak the strategy.

Derby need a lift from somewhere and a defeat to Bolton would almost certainly signal the end for Eustace and leave the Rams needing a mini-miracle to ensure this season doesn’t transcend into a complete and utter disaster.