Rhian Brewster Out for Derby County's Next Two Matches

Derby County will be without forward Rhian Brewster for at least their next two matches after the striker suffered concussion in Saturday’s 3-0 defeat by West Ham United.

The 26-year-old lasted only 22 minutes of the Championship clash before he was forced off, cutting short a start that underlined how central he has become to John Eustace’s plans. Brewster has featured in all five of Derby’s league fixtures so far, starting the last two as he edged towards the consistent run of games he has been chasing.

“He's feeling a lot better, he was really groggy on Saturday night, he felt dizzy and sick during the game,” the Rams boss told BBC Radio Derby.

The immediate concern is Brewster’s health, but the footballing blow is obvious. Derby lose a forward their manager clearly trusts just as he was beginning to build rhythm.

“It's a big blow because I was really excited to give him a run of games - he's a top performer at this level and he needs to get fit and get games under his belt so it's a shame now for him to miss another couple,” Eustace said.

Concussion protocols mean Brewster will sit out at least the next two fixtures, ruling him out of Wednesday night’s home game against West Bromwich Albion on 9 September (19:45 BST) and likely the following match as well.

Derby now head into a key early-season test without a player they hoped would spearhead their attack.