Paul Warne has received a significant setback as one of his Derby County players faces up to four months out due to injury.

Derby fans were initially thrilled on Wednesday with the announcement of David Ozoh as their sixth summer signing, joining on loan from Crystal Palace. However, their excitement was short-lived as the Rams suffered a 4-0 defeat to Chesterfield in their latest pre-season friendly.

The League Two newcomers dominated the match, with goals from Ollie Banks, Will Grigg, and a brace from James Berry, marking Paul Warne’s first pre-season loss. While such a defeat would be concerning in a competitive match, there is no need for supporters to panic as it was only a friendly.

Unfortunately, the disappointing scoreline was compounded by the news that one of Warne’s first-team players could be sidelined for four months.

Jake Rooney, who sustained an anterior cruciate ligament injury in the defeat to Bolton Wanderers last September, was the player affected. The young center-back had made a remarkable recovery to rejoin first-team training and had even aimed to return to Warne’s starting XI in the Championship.

Just weeks after completing his recovery, 20-year-old Jake Rooney has suffered another long-term injury, damaging his knee in Spain. According to manager Paul Warne, Rooney could be sidelined for around four months, a massive blow for the player and Derby County.

Journalist Dominic Dietrich relayed Warne’s comments, highlighting the setback for the promising young center-back whose development has been plagued by injuries.

This unfortunate news gives Derby more reason to invest in another defender.

With Rooney out, Warne has only Eiran Cashin, Sonny Bradley, and Curtis Nelson as natural center-backs. Although full-backs Ryan Nyambe and Craig Forsyth have been used as central defenders in pre-season, the team needs to bolster this position. Rooney might have been fourth or fifth choice for the Championship, but this injury has denied him that opportunity.

David Clowes may need to invest in a new center-back, either a young player for the long term or an experienced defender to compete with Nelson and Cashin. Currently, Warne is focusing on signing a new goalkeeper, Jacob Widell Zetterstrom, but once that deal is finalized, he must also address reinforcements in attack and central defense.