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John Eustace, Manager of Derby County(Image: Getty Images)<\/p>\nLatest Derby County news from DerbyshireLive brings you what the Rams head coach had to say as the Rams prepare to face Leicester City on Monday<\/p>\n
08:00, 27 Dec 2025Updated 08:36, 27 Dec 2025<\/p>\n
John Eustace, Manager of Derby County(Image: Getty Images)<\/p>\n
Lewis Travis and Max Johnston look unlikely to face Leicester City on Monday night as Derby County<\/a> look to make it all square in the battle for East Midlands bragging rights.<\/p>\n Skipper Travis and Johnston have been on their way back from calf and hamstring problems respectively and have returned to training.<\/a><\/p>\n Both players missed Boxing Day’s 1-1 draw against Birmingham City<\/a> although Travis did travel with the squad to St Andrew’s to offer his support.<\/a><\/p>\n Eustace revealed Travis was eager to play against Blues, but Eustace maintains the former Blackburn man is a doubt for the trip to the King Power as Derby look to atone for their 3-1 defeat earlier this month.<\/p>\n While both players look to be unavailable, Eustace did praise Liam Thompson and Bobby Clark for their contribution in midfield against the Blues.<\/p>\n Asked if both Travis and Johnston would be fit to face Leicester, Eustace said “I don’t think so. Obviously, Trav’s been out for 11 weeks.<\/p>\n “He’s trained twice up to now. It was really important that he came and joined the group (for Birmingham) with his experience of the training ground and around the dressing room.<\/p>\n “He couldn’t wait to get back in the squad. He actually wanted to start (against Birmingham), so I’ve had to calm him down a little bit.<\/p>\n “But you look at the performance Thommo again and he was outstanding in that midfield against some really top performers that Birmingham have got in there.<\/p>\n “He’s an academy academy graduate and has been very good since I’ve been at the football club.<\/p>\n “He goes about his business in a really good positive way. To have him and Bobby Clark, who’s a number 10 playing as a double 6 with him, the work that the boys are doing is fantastic, really.”<\/p>\n Derby will at least be boosted by the return of Dion Sanderson against Leicester with the centre-back having missed the game against Blues, his parent club, as a condition of his season-long loan.<\/p>\n But they will be missing Joe Ward who was sent off for two bookable offences at the weekend and with Johnston set to be absent, Eustace has a decision to make as to who fills the right-back spot.<\/p>\n Either way, Derby will hope to pile more misery on Marti Cifuentes’ side, who suffered a defeat at home to Watford that has heaped further pressure on the Spaniard, with Leicester currently in mid-table.<\/p>\n But despite the current uncertainty surrounding Leicester and the possibility of a points deduction still hanging over the club over spending breaches relating to their promotion from the Championship two years ago, Leicester still boast a squad packed with quality despite what is happening off the pitch but Eustace will try to concoct a game plan that will allow them to return from the King Power with a result.<\/p>\n “They are a difficult opponent, they have top players and it’s another squad similar to Birmingham. They expect promotion,” he said.<\/p>\n “We’ll go there and we will have a game plan. What I’d say is that the group will work their socks off to try to get a result.”<\/p>\n