Derby County defender Scott Malone is set to miss Saturday's crunch clash with Nottingham Forest.
Forest welcome the Rams to the City Ground in the televised East Midlands derby (12.30pm kick off).
Phillip Cocu will hope his Derby side can peg back the four-point gap between themselves and the Reds, who are currently inside the Championship play-off places.
But the Dutchman will be without left-back Malone, who has started four of the last five games for Derby.
The ex-Fulham man picked up a knee injury during the Rams' 2-0 win against Middlesbrough at the weekend, and had to be replaced with five minutes left.
"Scott was able to continue (against Middlesbrough), but after the game he still had some pain," Cocu told Derbyshire Live.
"I don't know if it is maybe OK after the break, we all hope, but we will have to wait and see."
Max Lowe looks set to fill in for Malone, rather than young left-back Lee Buchanan, who started the 3-0 Carabao Cup drubbing at the hands of Forest at the City Ground earlier this season.
Lowe’s only start in the past month came in the 2-0 defeat away to Hull City.
Krystian Bielik is expected to be fit after taking a heavy knock against Boro, but Tom Huddlestone and Craig Forsyth are long-term absentees and will not be involved.
