Injuries bite but Mount could face Owls
DERBY County boss Frank Lampard said the 3-0 home defeat by Aston Villa was a “wake-up” call and a timely reminder of the competition in the Championship.
Lampard said the Rams must take what happened on the chin and move on.
It was Derby’s first defeat in seven League games and only their third in 14.
Asked what he learned from the “wake-up” call, Lampard said: “That if you come up against a team who can run further than you and have a desire maybe to run a little bit further on the day, for whatever reason, then you are going to struggle.
“We must all take it, we must all be humble, accept it and move on.
“It is something we will try and turn round as a bit of a positive.
“If it puts us in our place a bit, then good.”
Derby had beaten Sheffield United and West Bromwich Albion and drawn with Norwich City and Middlesbrough in recent matches - all teams currently in the top six.
Lampard added: “I think we have had a great month and a game like that (against Villa) is actually a wakeup DERBY County are hoping midfielder Mason Mount will be fit for when the Championship resumes after the international break.
An ankle injury has seen Mount miss the last two matches - a 3-1 home victory over Birmingham City and Saturday’s 3-0 defeat by Aston Villa at Pride Park Stadium.
The 19-year-old, on a season-long loan from Chelsea, had been an ever-present in the previous 19 League and Cup games, scoring five goals.
Derby also hope fellow-midfielder Craig Bryson will be ready for the trip to Hillsborough to face Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday, November 24.
A calf injury suffered against Sheffield United last month has kept Bryson out of the last five games.
“I am hopeful that Mason will be call - a reminder to all of us that this league is tough, and there are good teams in it and if you don’t perform you will get beaten.
“We must make sure those games are rare.
“We went to West Bromwich Albion and won 4-1 and now we are on the other end of a similar feeling.
“People were getting excited, and it wasn’t me, about the performances and results. That’s what Mason Bennett (centre) goes off against Aston Villa after suffering a hamstring injury.
there or thereabouts come the other side of the international break, Craig Bryson similar,” said Lampard.
“It is a muscle injury (with Bryson), they are harder to predict, and Martyn Waghorn (hamstring) the same.
“Hopefully, they will be very close happens in football sometimes.”
Derby found themselves “outworked and outplayed” by Villa in the second half and it is the first time this season Lampard has said that about his team.
Lampard watched as Derby conceded three goals after the break to John McGinn, Tammy Abraham and Conor Hourihane.
Villa had chances to score more than three in a second half they for Sheffield Wednesday.”
The injuries are beginning to pile up for Derby.
Craig Forsyth (knee) and Mason Bennett (hamstring) joined a lengthening list during the Villa game.
Bennett was replaced by Florian Jozefzoon after 51 minutes and Forsyth dominated.
The defeat was Derby’s first at home since they lost 4-1 to Leeds United on August 11.
“It is the only time I can say we have been outworked and outplayed to that level - Leeds was not the same as that,” said Lampard.
“There may be a tiredness issue, we have played a lot of games this month and we have missed some players, of course.
“I don’t want to harp on about the importance of the players that we missed but that is obvious.
“They are key players particularly for energy in midfield.”
Asked what the team could have done to stem the Villa tide in the second half, Lampard said: “Try and keep the ball for a time.
“Even at half-time I said we needed to keep the ball more and we actually kept it less in the second half.
“You have to be brave to try and keep the ball, it allows you time to rest and get up the pitch.
“I have played in games like that myself at different levels.
“Sometimes when a game goes away from you it can be tough to get it back, so I am not going to sit here and criticise players who have been very good for me for the last five or six games, they really have.
“I understand what they are feeling. They are disappointed, as I am, because they want to do well.
“Of course we are upset we didn’t grab the game back but it is a good lesson for us.” looked to be in pain when he came off 11 minutes from time.
“It was a hamstring injury for Mason Bennett as we could all see, so we will assess how bad that is,” said Lampard.
“With Craig Forsyth, I don’t know. I think it was a knee but it’s too early to tell.
“This is a tough league, we have to work hard in games and in training, and we try and do the most but when you play a lot of games injuries can come.
“The international break comes at a good time because we have a few injuries and we can rest, and we can train. So it does come at a good time.”
Midfielders George Evans and Joe Ledley are also sidelined, although Evans is edging closer to being available. NORWICH City are the new leaders of the Championship after a remarkable 4-3 victory against Millwall at Carrow Road.
The visitors led at half-time through Tom Elliott’s goal but Teemu Pukki equalised at the start of the second half.
Moritz Leitner then put Norwich in front after 79 minutes but the lead was shortlived as Ryan Leonard levelled things up before Jed Wallace put Millwall back ahead.
Jordan Rhodes’ strike at the beginning of stoppage time looked like it had salvaged a draw for the Canaries but Pukki struck again in the seventh minute of added time to seal a dramatic win.
Middlesbrough are second in the table after Jordan Hugill’s first-half double secured a 2-0 win over Wigan Athletic at the Riverside.
West Bromwich Albion are up to fifth after they got their promotion challenge back on track with a 4-1 home win against Leeds United.
Albion had stalled collecting a solitary point from their previous four games but second-half goals from Hal Robson-Kanu, Matt Phillips, Harvey Barnes and Dwight Gayle sealed a welcome win.
Pablo Hernandez headed a reply in stoppage time for Leeds, who are third in the standings.
Nottingham Forest fell out of the play-off places after a goalless home draw with Stoke City, while Blackburn Rovers had to settle for a 1-1 draw with Rotherham United at Ewood Park.
Michael Smith headed the Millers in front in the 75th minute before Bradley Dack equalised shortly afterwards.
Swansea City are eighth after Barrie McKay’s early strike gave them a 1-0 win at struggling Bolton Wanderers.
Reading and Ipswich Town shared the points in a 2-2 draw at the Madejski Stadium. Ipswich twice led through Gwion Edwards and Freddie Sears, with Yakou Meite equalising in between.
Paul Lambert was denied his first victory as Ipswich boss when Meite levelled with an 84th-minute header.