Derby County winger Tom Lawrence has been ruled of the Wales squad ahead of their international double-header over the next week, reports the Derby Telegraph.

The 25-year old has endured a turbulent time with injuries this season, and made a long-awaited return to the starting line-up after missing the last six games in all competitions with a recurring ankle injury.

But his return to the side was overshadowed after he was taken off in the 83rd minute, with youngster Jayden Mitchell-Lawson coming on to make his first appearance for the East Midlands club.

After the goalless draw with the 0-0 stalemate at Pride Park, Rams boss Frank Lampard confirmed that he would speak to Wales manager Ryan Giggs about the injury to Lawrence, after the wide-man was named in the Welshman's squad to face Trinidad and Tobago and Slovakia.

But in his press conference on Tuesday afternoon, Giggs confirmed that Lawrence will be out of action for the European Championship qualifiers next week, sparking worry amongst the Pride Park faithful.

The injury has come at arguably the worst possible time for Derby, with Lampard's men sitting within touching distance of the Sky Bet Championship play-off places - the Rams currently sit eighth in the league standings, one point off the top six with a game in hand.

The Verdict

This could turn out to be a massive blow for Derby, in what is a massive stage of the season for the Rams.

I think most would agree that Lawrence has been far from his best this season, but on his day, he is a very dangerous player at Championship level, and can be a standout performer for Derby.

With a handful of important games left to play, Derby fans will be praying that he isn't out for too long.