Derby County manager Phillip Cocu has confirmed that the club will be without Tom Huddlestone for their clash with Fulham tomorrow at Pride Park.

The midfielder has been forced to watch on from the sidelines in recent weeks due to an issue with his calf and last featured for the Rams in their 1-0 triumph over Hull City.

Since this particular fixture, Derby have achieved a mixed amount of success in the Championship.

Whilst the Rams have secured eye-catching victories over the likes of Stoke City and Swansea City, their poor form away from home has led to them dropping points against Luton Town and Bristol City.

Currently 13th in the Championship standings, the Rams could move within six points of the play-off places if they beat high-flying Fulham on Friday.

Derby will need to look elsewhere for inspiration in the heart of midfield during this match-up as Huddlestone is set to miss out whilst Duane Holmes is also sidelined after picking up a knock in last weekend's 1-1 draw against Huddersfield Town.

Speaking to the Derby Telegraph ahead of his side's fixture with Fulham about Huddlestone's injury, Cocu said: "It holds him back.

"He can do some training but only until a certain level of performance, so he cannot make the jump now to the team.

"He will need maybe a week or two weeks with the team on the grass before he can play a game.

"It is hard for me to say if he will play in two weeks or three weeks."

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The Verdict

Whilst Derby haven't exactly struggled in Huddlestone's absence since the turn of the year, they will be hoping that the midfielder will be able to make a quick recovery from his calf issue.

If the Rams are to launch a late push for the play-offs, it could be argued that they may benefit from being able to call upon the midfielder's services as he is blessed with a wealth of experience at Championship level.

Having played 174 games in this particular division during his career, Huddlestone knows exactly what it takes to succeed and thus could be a key asset for Derby when he eventually returns to full fitness.

However, if the midfielder cannot recover from his latest injury, the Rams may consider cutting ties with him when his contract expires in the summer as Cocu cannot afford to be carrying any passengers next season.