Derby County’s push for automatic promotion in the Sky Bet Championship is still alive, with Gary Rowett’s side looking to work their way back into contention after falling behind Aston Villa and Cardiff City in recent weeks.  

The Rams have just one victory in their last seven fixtures, which has left them seven points adrift of second heading into the final 12 fixtures of the season.

That poor run of form in the Championship has coincided with Sam Winnall’s injury, with the on-loan striker limping out of victory over Brentford earlier this month with knee ligament damage.

Winnall had been impressive prior to his injury, netting on six occasions and helping to fire Derby into serious promotion contention.

Sky Bet have taken to Twitter to look at Winnall’s impact at Pride Park, revealing that even with his injury, the 27-year-old currently holds the best goal-per-minute ratio in the Championship.

Winnall has found the net every 109 minutes he has played this season.

Derby will continue their quest for promotion without Winnall on Saturday afternoon, with the Rams facing Fulham at Pride Park, where Rowett’s side will be looking for a return to winning ways against the in-form Cottagers.

The Verdict

Winnall’s injury is a huge blow for Derby, as the forward’s impact at the Pride Park Stadium had been extremely impressive.

The goals the forward was coming up with were often crucial ones, and Rowett will have been gutted by the severity of Winnall’s injury.

There is no doubt that the 27-year-old’s absence is a blow to Derby’s promotion hopes.

Derby fans… Let us know your thoughts!