It is the club’s own fault but a transfer embargo and other player regulations mean the Rams can barely field a side
At least Wayne Rooney was able to see the funny side when, on the eve of the season, a journalist asked whether he breaks games down into chunks of six or eight to target points. “In blocks of one,” Rooney replied, laughing, having already answered questions about the eye-watering sums attached to the Jack Grealish transfer, a world away from Derby’s financial predicament. “At the minute I can’t spend £100 on one player, let alone £100m.”
After losing Colin Kazim-Richards to a long-term injury on Saturday, the club successfully applied to the English Football League for special dispensation to register a replacement, signing Sam Baldock, who spent pre-season training with the club, until January. Phil Jagielka has also signed a short-term contract, with the defender Krystian Bielik another long-term absentee. Until Baldock’s arrival, the teenager Jack Stretton, who was on loan at Stockport County earlier this year, was the only recognised striker in the Derby squad.
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