Derby County are sweating on the fitness of record signing Krystian Bielik, after the £10m man was forced off 10 minutes into the second half of their 2-0 win over struggling Middlesbrough at Pride Park and faces a race against time to be fit to face Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
Bielik was on the wrong end of a crunching tackle from George Saville in the first half, which saw the Boro man given a straight red card by referee Darren Bond.
The Polish international then took another knock which forced Cocu into taking him off and giving George Evans a rare chance to impress.
Cocu was coy about Bielik’s fitness, admitting that he didn’t want to take any more chances given the club's issues in defence, following the sudden departure of Richard Keogh last week.
“He has a little bit of pain still in his ankle but he could go on in the second half,” Cocu told Rams TV.
“He had one more hit and I think it was his hip or his thigh and I didn’t want to take any chances and it was good to get George Evans back on the pitch after some time out.”
The win over Boro, courtesy of two goals from Tom Lawrence secured a fourth straight win in front of their own supporters.
A bigger concern for the Rams, however, is their dreadful away form.
Cocu’s men haven’t won on the road since the opening night of the season, and have already lost 3-0 at the City Ground this season in the Carabao Cup, though the Dutchman is only too aware what a win at the home of their arch-rivals would mean next weekend.
“That would be a great place to get a result in an away game. But first we were focused on this one because we knew it was an important game for the team,” said the Rams boss.
“We have to get a result in an away game, and it will be a tough match but a very good place to get a result.”
