Derby County financial blow revealed amid Elliot Embleton injury update
The attacking midfielder will have to return to Sunderland due to an injury, and it will leave County counting the cost
On transfer deadline day at the start of September, Derby County secured themselves somewhat of a coup when announcing the arrival of Sunderland midfielder Elliot Embleton on loan for the remainder of the 2023-24 campaign.
After spending a lot of the 2022-23 season on the sidelines for the Black Cats, having suffered torn ankle ligaments whilst making a challenge against Hull City last December that he was red carded for, Embleton was allowed to head to Derby to try and rebuild himself and to get regular game-time.
Just a few weeks after arriving at County though, Embleton has suffered a disastrous injury which is set to abruptly end his time at the club.
What injury has Elliot Embleton suffered?
According to BBC Radio Derby’s Dominic Dietrich, Embleton has suffered a significant quadriceps injury that will keep him out for several months.
The midfielder was not included in Warne’s team to face Carlisle United last weekend, and Derby’s manager disclosed that he experienced the problem in training when taking a corner.
Warne added that Embleton would have a scan on the problem, and the diagnosis has not been what Derby and the player would have preferred.
The damage is severe enough to keep the 24-year-old out of action for several months, so he has returned to Sunderland to begin his recovery.
That means he won’t be available for Derby, and when January rolls around, the loan will be officially ended, as it isn’t allowed to do so outside of the transfer window.
Derby, on the other hand, will suffer a financial blow in the interim, with Dietrich stating that County will have to pay the wage contribution agreed upon with Sunderland until the loan agreement is officially terminated in January.
How much of a blow is it for Derby to lose Elliot Embleton?
The addition of Embleton was a positive one for Derby as it added a creative spark in their midfield that had already proven himself at the level in the past.
Embleton had already scored goals in League One and was anticipated to give something more in the center of the park – but Derby will never know what would have occurred.
Of course, Warne still has choices, with Tyrese Fornah and Korey Smith playing together against Carlisle last week, but with Conor Hourihane, Liam Thompson, and Max Bird all out, injuries are starting to pile up at Pride Park.
And, while it isn’t ideal that Derby must continue paying the wages of a player they can no longer employ, they are now in a strong financial position to be able to do so.
