Derby County manager Frank Lampard has revealed that winger Tom Lawrence will be unavailable for the Rams' clash against Reading this weekend.

The 25-year-old recently picked up a hamstring injury after Derby's magnificent midweek win against Premier League side Southampton in the FA Cup, where Lampard's men defeated the Saints in a penalty shoot-out.

But news has now emerged that the Rams will be missing Lawrence, who came on to replace Tom Huddlestone in midweek, as Derby look to gain an invaluable three points against Reading at Pride Park.

The Royals will be hoping to pick up from where they left off after an impressive 2-0 win over Nottingham Forest last week, and will be hungry for another win as they look to climb out of the relegation zone - Jose Gomes' men are currently two points adrift of safety.

Derby will be looking to respond to last Friday night's defeat to Leeds United at Elland Road - the Rams currently occupy the last play-off spot despite winning just one of their last six league games. Frank Lampard's currently find themselves two points clear of Bristol City, who sit in 7th place.

The Verdict

This could be a big blow for Derby ahead of a couple of very important games at the top end of the table.

Lawrence, to be fair, was poor against Southampton, and missed a handful of chances that could have saved the tie from going to penalties.

On his day, though, the Welsh international has real quality and is a real threat going forward. Derby will be praying that he isn't out for too long.