Rams keeper Zetterstrom out with knee injury

Derby County goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterstrom has suffered a knee injury that could keep him out for up to two months.

The 28-year-old was hurt in the second half of Saturday's 2-1 defeat by Birmingham City, but continued to play on despite initially looking as if he would be forced to leave the pitch.

While he saw out the Championship match, Zetterstrom has now had to withdraw from the Sweden squad for the four upcoming Nations League group games against Romania, Poland and Bosnia-Herzegovina in late September and and early October.

Zetterstrom is not expected to return to action until mid-November, which means he could miss as many as eight league games for a lowly Rams side already dealing with an injury crisis.

Before the Swede suffered his knock against Blues, Henrik Meister had already left the field on a stretcher after suffering a head knock.

The pair are now among a lengthy list of players, including Matt Clarke, Derry Murkin, Filip Bilbija, Rhian Brewster, Craig Forsyth and Lewis Travis, who have been consigned to the treatment room.

Zetterstrom, a goalkeeper the Rams did well to keep hold of in the summer after he drew plenty of transfer interest with his showings at the World Cup, will likely be replaced by Josh Vickers, who has so far been named on the bench in every game for Derby this season.

BBC Radio Derby's Ed Dawes:

The injury to goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterstrom is the latest setback for Derby County head coach John Eustace.

The Sweden international has been vital for the Rams this season, behind a team which has seen a number of changes in front of him.

Zetterstrom has made 30 saves, kept one clean sheet and played every minute of Derby's opening seven Championship matches before suffering his knee injury.

Injuries have become a recurring theme at Pride Park. Across the past two seasons, around 18 first-team players have missed at least five games through injury, forcing Derby into repeated reshuffles and disrupting any chance of continuity.

Long-term absentees last season included Carlton Morris, Patrick Agyemang and Zetterstrom himself.

This season, the Rams' bad luck has continued. Defender Matt Clarke was injured in the Carabao Cup opener and Derry Murkin is yet to kick a ball.

Captain Lewis Travis picked up an injury against Swansea, defender Craig Forsyth suffered a knee injury, while both Rhian Brewster and Henrik Meister have spent time in concussion protocols following head injuries.

Derby's squad is not deep enough to absorb this volume of setbacks without feeling the effects. Players are returning from injury while others are still adapting to the demands of the Championship.

Add a dip in form from some key individuals and it's easy to understand why consistency has proved elusive.

There is plenty of football still to be played, but if Derby are to climb the table, Eustace will need both better fortune and a healthier squad in the weeks ahead.