John Eustace confirms what is going on with £10k-a-week Derby County star - "we don't want to lose him" | OneFootball

Sondre Langas has not played for Derby County since the end of last season

John Eustace has claimed that Derby County are going to be patient with Sondre Langas’ return to the team.

The 24-year-old has not featured for the Rams this season, with his last appearance coming on the final day of the previous campaign in a 0-0 draw against Stoke City.

The defender underwent surgery in the summer on a knee issue that had been causing him pain since his arrival at Pride Park at the end of the January transfer window.

The Norwegian played the full 90 minutes for the B-team on Monday in a 3-2 win over Preston North End.

Langas is nearing a return for Derby, with the club struggling for form in the early stages of the new Championship season.

John Eustace reveals Sondre Langas return timeline

Eustace has claimed that Derby are not looking to rush Langas back into the team as they don’t want to risk any further injury issues if he returns too quickly.

He believes that the defender still has to get up to speed, and that it could be after the international break before he makes an appearance in the Championship for the Rams.

"Let's wait and see how he gets through today," said Eustace, via the BBC.

"It's important we don't rush him back, we don't want to lose him for sure.

“He's a really influential player for us and he had a fantastic end to last season.

"Let's get him up to speed and see how he is after the international break."

Langas proved an important part of Derby’s survival against relegation last season, appearing 14 times in the league following his arrival at the start of February.

A 1-1 draw with Wrexham last weekend extended the team’s difficulty to secure victories in this early stage of the campaign.

Eustace’s side have won just once from their opening seven fixtures, leaving them outside the relegation zone by only one point.

The Rams are 21st in the table ahead of their midweek clash against Charlton Athletic this evening at Pride Park in an 8pm kick-off.

Sondre Langas return could be crucial for Derby

Easing Langas back into the side might be what Derby have to do to ensure he doesn’t pick up any other injury issues that could rule him out for an even longer time.

He proved an important part of the team last season, so having him back in the side will be a big boost for Eustace at the back.

The 24-year-old, who is estimated to earn a base salary of £10k-a-week at Pride Park, will need time to get to full fitness given he’s missed pre-season, as well as the opening seven games of the campaign, with his first appearances this term likely to come off the bench.

Injuries have hurt Derby this season already, with players like Rhian Brewster, Owen Beck and Corey Blackett-Taylor all absent and unlikely to make a return in time for their meeting with Charlton.