Derby County and Birmingham City are set to face off in an all-Midlands clash on Saturday afternoon, a game that might have a significant impact on how the two clubs’ seasons unfold from here on out.

However, John Eustace’s team is now in a stronger position in the Championship play-off competition, and a victory over his previous club could bring Derby level on points with Southampton and Wrexham going into the campaign’s final international break.

Meanwhile, Chris Davies will hope Birmingham can improve their mostly awful away form and cut the gap on the top six, keeping the closing weeks of the season interesting.

However, both he and Eustace will be without some key players for this crucial matchup. With that in mind, FLW examined the 11 individuals who fall into that category and their distinct situations.

Derby County’s Jacob Widell Zetterstrom

The Rams’ first nine absentees include Jacob Widell Zetterstrom, one of two unavailable goalkeepers.

Zetterstrom has been out of action since the 1-1 draw with West Bromwich Albion on January 23rd due to an illness, and he has yet to resume full training as he works to heal quickly yet successfully.

Eustace recently reported that the Sweden international appeared to be on the verge of recovery, but has since faced setbacks, which have been a constant theme throughout his absence.

Josh Vickers

Josh Vickers, 30, will also not play goal for the Rams after suffering a groin injury in the 1-0 loss to Millwall on March 10th.

The initial diagnosis was that the shot-stopper would be out for six to eight weeks as a result, with Richard O’Donnell being crowned the current ‘number one’ in Monday’s 1-0 victory over Portsmouth.

Max Johnston

Max Johnston, Scotland’s international right-back, is next up, having not played since October 25th and is still on the treatment table.

After originally being sidelined with a hamstring ailment, the 22-year-old’s expectations of a rapid comeback were dashed when he developed a calf issue during his recovery.

Sondré Langas

Sondre Langas, who signed for £4 million in January, is also expected to miss this game.

The centre-back has been a gigantic figure whenever available for the Rams, but he has missed the last nine Championship matches with a hamstring injury.”Fingers crossed, he’ll be with us shortly after the international break,” Eustace recently informed club media in a hopeful update.

Danny Batth

Derby will also be without the experience of Danny Batth for this match.

The ex-Wolves player has been out since February 21st, when he was beaten 2-0 by Watford, and he could return sooner rather than later due to a calf problem.

Calum Elder

However, Callum Elder is one defender who is definitely out of this match.

Eustace announced earlier this month that the left-back, who is also out of contract at Pride Park on June 30th, will be out of action for at least five to six weeks following knee surgery.

Liam Thompson

Liam Thompson has had a stop-start season due to ailments, with his current calf issue following a knee injury that kept him out in the autumn.

Like many of his teammates, the academy graduate hopes to return to first-team involvement as the season comes to an end.

Lars-Jorgen Salvesen

This clash may perhaps have come too soon for Norwegian attacker Lars-Jorgen Salvesen.

The 30-year-old has scored three times in the Championship so far this term, but has been absent for just over a month with a muscle injury.

However, Eustace stated earlier this month that the forward hoped to be back and fully incorporated into the squad on the training pitch after focusing on his individual recuperation.

Birmingham City
Alex Cochrane

Meanwhile, all of Blues’ absentees come at left-back, with the first of those being Alex Cochrane.

After spending the majority of his first season at St. Andrew’s as first-choice, the 25-year-old’s current season has been marred by injuries, though he may return to action next month following a current ankle setback.

Lee Buchanan

Lee Buchanan’s recuperation from a catastrophic ACL injury has been significantly more drawn out, and it remains to be seen whether the ex-Derby player will play competitively for Birmingham this season.

Davies said at the end of February that the defender’s improvement should still be monitored with caution.

“These are early stages. “With Lee, it’s about trying to keep it together for a long period of time,” added the Blues manager.

Kai Wagner

Kai Wagner, a January signing and fellow full-back, is also expected to miss the game after suffering a shoulder injury against Charlton Athletic on March 7th.

Davies revealed later that week, following his omission against Queens Park Rangers, that the German would most likely be absent until after the international break.

“Kai got a knock and it looks like it’s going to rule him out for a few weeks which is disappointing,” he told me.