Derby County set to face big issue for Coventry City match on April 3 | OneFootball

Patrick Agyemang has been called up for the USA for the March international break, but this is bad news for Derby County.

Derby County have just one game to go until the final international break of the 2025/26 Championship campaign, and it is coming at the perfect time for the club with several injured players likely to return after the break.

Sondre Langas, Lars-Jorgen Salvesen and Liam Thompson all look likely to return in the next few weeks, and John Eustace needs this quality depth in his squad as the Rams look to make that final push for the play-offs with eight games to go.

Wrexham's 3-1 defeat to Watford at Vicarage Road on Tuesday evening means that the East Midlands outfit are just three points off the play-offs, and level on games played with the Welsh side, and their chances of a top six finish have increased dramatically.

However, Derby will return to action after the international break against league leaders Coventry City. It's a match that supporters know will already be incredibly tough, but it may be even more difficult with one of their key players potentially missing out due to national team duties.

Derby County could be without Patrick Agyemang v Coventry City in April

Patrick Agyemang has had a tremendous first season in the Championship after moving from MLS side Charlotte FC in the summer transfer window. After signing for the Rams for an initial fee of £5.8m, he has already reached double figures for goals scored, and will be hoping to earn his place in the USA's World Cup squad.

His national team head coach, Mauricio Pochettino, has handed him early hope of that happening, with the 25-year-old called up for the March internationals. The US face Belgium and Portugal in the next few weeks, with both games against their European opponents being played in Atlanta.

The first of those comes on March 28, with the clash against Belgium kicking off at 7:30pm GMT, while Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal face America a few days later on 31 March. However, due to the time difference, that game kicks off at midnight UK time, meaning that there are technically just two days between that match and Derby's visit to Coventry.

Therefore, if Agyemang is selected to face Portugal, he is unlikely to feature for the Rams at the CBS Arena, and this is a significant problem for Eustace, with his number seven a crucial cog in the machine as his team continue their push for the play-offs.

Derby County have a point to prove against Coventry City

The two sides met at the very start of the season, with Derby hosting Coventry in just the second game of the campaign. It was the visitors who came out on top, winning 5-3 in an incredibly topsy-turvy affair at Pride Park.

However, the Rams were without Agyemang on that day, as he recovered from hernia surgery. It was a game that needed his presence out wide, with the American proving to be a significant threat against multiple sides throughout this season, and he was a huge loss for Eustace.

Those problems will only be exacerbated at the CBS Arena, with the ex-Charlotte FC man likely to miss out on featuring in this fixture once again, unless he returns to his club early. Derby may look to use their versatile attacker from the bench if he is not ready to start, but this is still a loss.

A victory for the Rams in the West Midlands would be a huge statement, as Eustace looks to pick up momentum in the final weeks of the campaign, as Coventry close in on promotion.