Tom Lawrence suspended for Derby’s clash with Charlton

Posted Saturday, December 28, 2019 by PA

Derby will be without the suspended Tom Lawrence for Monday’s Sky Bet Championship match at home to Charlton.

The Wales international picked up his 10th yellow card in 22 games on Boxing Day and will be banned for two matches as a result, so misses Monday’s fixture.

Centre-back Matt Clarke (knee) is closing in on a return, while former Tottenham and Hull midfielder Tom Huddlestone (hamstring) now requires “sharpness”, according to manager Phillip Cocu.

Midfielder Max Bird, 19, came off the bench to replace Krystian Bielik last time out and earned Cocu’s praise after the match so could feature again.

The Rams head into the match on the back of a seven-game winless streak as they sit just six points above the relegation zone, while the visitors sit one point better off in 17th after beating Bristol City on Thursday.

Charlton remain without striker Jonathan Leko, who was ruled out for the rest of the season following anterior cruciate ligament damage in the draw at QPR last Saturday.

The on-loan West Brom forward was forced off early on with the knee problem during that match and boss Lee Bowyer confirmed the blow after the Boxing Day win and the player has returned to his parent club.

Jonny Williams, Sam Field, Tomer Hemed, Chuks Aneke, Jake Forster-Caskey, Josh Cullen, Beryam Kayal, George Lapslie, Lewis Page and Ben Amos remain on a lengthy Addicks injury list.