Derby County are sweating on the fitness of defender Krystian Bielik ahead of their trip to Charlton Athletic this weekend.

The 21-year-old has been an important player for the Rams of late, with the versatile midfielder often filling in as a centre-half in the long-term absence of Richard Keogh.

The Poland international - a summer signing from Arsenal - has made a total of 10 appearances for Phillip Cocu's side since arriving from the Emirates Stadium.

But Bielik could be set to miss this weekend's clash with Charlton Athletic at The Valley, though, after picking up an injury on international duty.

After missing Poland's clash with Latvia on Thursday night, the defensive midfielder is also set to miss tonight's clash with North Macedonia, and is a doubt for this weekend's match against the Addicks.

With Keogh and Tom Huddlestone both out injured, having Bielik unavailable would also be a big blow for Derby, as they look to pick up their third win in four games at the weekend.

The Verdict

It would be a big blow for Derby if Bielik was to miss this weekend's match, as he is a player who can fill in as either a midfielder or as a defender which is beneficial given the injuries to Keogh and Huddlestone.

We haven't seen the best of Bielik at Pride Park yet, in my view, and he will be looking to make a full recovery ahead of this weekend's clash with Lee Bowyer's side.

That's the annoying thing about international breaks - these kind of injuries can affect a team's result.