Curtis Davies could return to training with Derby County next week as the Rams skipper steps up his return from a hamstring injury.

The centre-back has established himself as a key figure at the East Midlands side since joining the club and has been sorely missed.

Davies played in the opening day victory over Reading but has been absent since, meaning he has missed five Championship games whilst he will also be out for today's clash at Rotherham.

That has been a bitter blow, particularly as the initial diagnosis was that the 33-year old would be out for just a few weeks.

However, Frank Lampard explained to Derbyshire Live that he didn't want to take any risks given the nature of the injury.

"You have to be careful with hamstrings in rehab because muscles try to trick you and make you think they are OK, and they are not always. So we have had to be delicate with Curtis."

"I think it has been a month now and I am always wary to put a timescale on it, and put ourselves under pressure. Curtis is working well and is, hopefully, a week away from being back in training with us."

The Verdict

It will be a major positive for Derby to get Davies back as even though they've done well without him, he is such a good player and leader at this level.

However, as Lampard says, there's no point taking any risks with a hamstring injury, especially at this stage of the season.

It's a long campaign and Davies will have a big role to play in the Rams promotion push so it's about ensuring he comes back at 100%.

Thoughts, Derby fans? Let us know in the comments below.

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