The next three months could be the most important of Derby County's history with the future of the club in the hands of administrators.

The Rams haven't been doing too well financially for a while and have been relying on Mel Morris' cash injections for a number of years, but it all got too much for him this summer.

And with EFL punishments still hanging over his and the club's head, Morris decided to hand control of the club over to restructuring firm Quantuma, and with that came an automatic 12-point deduction.

That was a bitter pill for Wayne Rooney to swallow and considering he had no contact from Morris since the start of the season it's a situation that his hands are tied in.

The performances on the pitch though aren't mirroring the struggles that are going off it, with County being resilient when they step onto the pitch and one of their leaders despite being of a young age is Jason Knight.

Despite being just 20 years old, Knight captained the Rams on a number of occasions under Rooney last season but thanks to the former Manchester United man and a clumsy training ground tackle, the Republic of Ireland international was ruled out for the start of the season with an ankle injury.

The youngster is now back though and has played six times in the Championship, contributing to two wins and two draws in that time.

There was considerable interest in Knight over the summer with the likes of Newcastle United and Burnley linked to his signature, and with the current financial situation of the club questions are no doubt going to be asked when the January window opens.

That is why it's important for any interested legitimate parties who want to purchase the club come forward as quickly as possible so Derby can have some stability going forward - both on the pitch and off it.

If a new buyer can be found before January, then there will be no need to sell the likes of Knight and Lee Buchanan.

However if the situation is still lingering by the time 2022 hits, then there's likely to be low-ball offers for the midfielder - however Derby's administrators should do the best they can do hold onto the talented youngster as he could be in the club's plans for years to come and could even become a Rams icon.