Rams boss Rooney doing best to make sure Bielik protected

KRYSTIAN Bielik made his eighth consecutive start for Derby County in Saturday’s 2-0 away defeat by Bournemouth.

The midfielder had been sidelined for a year after a second serious knee injury, the latest suffered in the home victory over Bristol City in January 2021. He had been substituted in six of those eight starts, including the games against Cardiff City, Barnsley and Bournemouth.

Was that for tactical reasons or managing the Poland international’s minutes on the pitch?

“A bit of both,” Rams manager Wayne Rooney explained.

“At Cardiff, it was tactical. Against Bournemouth, it was tactical but also remember he has done his cruciate ligament twice and so we need to protect the player.

“He has come back and played a lot of games, had a lot of game-time, so we have to make sure we protect him as well.

“He has the quality, obviously, to play in games but we don’t just put him in and let him burn himself out or risk him getting injured.

“So it is an element of both.” Bielik was replaced at halftime at Cardiff, after 79 minutes against Barnsley, and in the 66th minute at Bournemouth at the weekend.

Despite losing to the Cherries, Rooney is confident his side will fight to the finish in their battle against relegation from the Championship.

“That spirit is there, it won’t go,” said Rooney. “The players reflect me, my character, that spirit will be there until the end of the season.

“It is the little details in the final third where, if we improve that, we are a very good team.

“We are at the bottom end of the table, we know that, and it has gone into single figures of games left. We have still got a chance.

“Whatever happens, I am delighted with how the players have performed and the points we have picked up.”