Derby's Szmodics out for six weeks with knee injury

The 31-year-old forward limped off in Tuesday's 4-0 loss to Norwich and requires surgery, sidelining him until mid-December.

Derby County forward Sam Szmodics has been ruled out for six weeks with a knee injury requiring surgery. The 31-year-old limped off in the second half of Tuesday's 4-0 home defeat by Norwich City. Szmodics, the club's top scorer this season, could miss as many as eight matches during his absence.

Manager Eustace told BBC Radio Derby that Szmodics had been playing through the injury. "To lose a player of Sam Szmodics' quality, although he has been playing about three quarters fit anyway, is a huge loss to us," Eustace said. The injury adds to Derby's mounting problems, with defenders Matt Clarke, Sondre Langas, Craig Forsyth, Eiran Cashin and Derry Murkin already sidelined, and striker Patrick Agyemang still recovering from an Achilles tendon injury.