Barnes blow for Rams

By Peter ORourke  

Barnes blow for Rams

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Derby have suffered a major blow with the news that Giles Barnes looks set to miss the rest of the season.

The talented teenager sustained a knee injury during Sunday's 2-0 defeat to Crystal Palace, which ended Derby's hopes of achieving automatic promotion.

Marc Edworthy also picked up an ankle knock at Selhurst Park and Rams boss Billy Davis is sweating over the fitness of the pair as he prepares for the play-offs.

"Marc picked up an ankle injury so we had to take him off at the interval," Davies told the club's official website.

"Barnsey's is a little more serious - he is looking at possible knee ligament damage which could rule him out of the play-offs."

Meanwhile, Rams skipper Matt Oakley has backed the team to bounce back from missing out on automatic promotion and triumph in the play-offs.

"I think we've had a fantastic season and while we're disappointed that we've not forced the other teams into the last day of the season, the boys will come back and we've got another shot at it," Oakley told the club's official website.

"There has been a lot of pressure and a lot of talk about the top two or three teams. We've probably had enough of that now so we can have a week without it, we can play the game as we have done all season and get ready for the play-offs.

"We are way ahead of where we expected to be and we've got another shot at it.

"It was disappointing so we've got to get everything together, get everyone behind us, and go into the play-offs strong and with confidence."