Bielik hopes to give his boss a New Year boost with return

KRYSTIAN Bielik is on course to hand Derby County a New Year boost.

The 23-year-old midfielder is on track for a return to action from the serious knee injury that has sidelined him since January.

He suffered anterior cruciate ligament damage during the Rams’ 1-0 home victory over Bristol City early this year – the second ACL injury of his Derby career since he signed from Arsenal in a deal that could be worth £10m.

Bielik has been working his way back to fitness and is now close to joining in training with the rest of the squad.

“Krystian is on track,” manager Wayne Rooney confirmed.

“We are probably looking at around Christmas time for him to be back participating in parts of the training sessions to start with and then integrate him back into the full sessions to get his fitness up and see where he is from there.

“It is probably mid-january, hopefully, that we might see him on the bench or mid-to-late January.”

Bielik will need time to get himself back up to speed but having him back in the squad would give Rooney another option.

Rooney felt Bielik was playing the best football of his career before the injury.

In Bielik’s 12 starts under Rooney, Derby won six, drew three and lost three, scoring 11 goals, conceding five, with eight clean sheets.

The wins came against Millwall, Swansea City, Birmingham City – in which Bielik scored in a 4-0 victory at St Andrews – Bournemouth (in which he scored the only goal), Queens Park Rangers and Bristol City.

His role in the side saw him stationed as a holding midfielder in front of the back four.

Bielik has had wretched luck with injuries that have restricted him to 34 appearances for the Rams since he arrived at the club in August 2019.

It has been a long road for the Poland international and he is grateful for the messages of support he has received.

“I can’t thank people enough for all the messages – everybody at the club, family and friends, and the fans,” Bielik said in the summer.

“I am really glad I have people around me like this and because of them I believe more I can be back.

“The target is to come back even stronger.”