The Rams were without some first-team players for the clash against Watford where the Rams were beaten 2-0
John Eustace, manager of Derby County(Image: Getty Images)
John Eustace revealed Derby County suffered “three or four” injuries in the run-up to their defeat at Watford, but insisted they could not use it as an excuse for their defeat at Vicarage Road.
The Rams slipped to a 2-0 defeat at the Hornets where goals from Luca Kjerrumgaard and Mamadou Doumbia sealed victory as Derby slipped out of the top six.
Derby were without midfielder Liam Thompson, Burnley winger Jaydon Banel and striker Lars Jorgen-Salvesen for the trip south and that is on top of injuries to Sondre Langas, Jacob Widell Zetterstrom and Max Johnston.
Academy trio Cruz Allen, Owen Eames and Isaac Gordon were on the bench with Allen coming on in the dying stages from the bench.
Asked about the absences from the squad, Eustace said: “Unfortunately, we picked up three or four injuries in the week which has been a real blow for us.
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“There are a couple of players who haven’t trained all week who played today as well, and that might have had something to do with us just not being fully at it.
“But there’s no excuses. Today’s levels weren’t what I expect and what we expect as a football club and we’ve got, got to push ourselves off and go again.”
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