Rams suffer Barnes blow after knee injury ends his season
Wednesday, 05 Mar 2008 17:17
Giles Barnes will not play for Derby in the Premier League in 2008
Derby County midfielder Giles Barnes has been ruled out for the rest of the season because of a recurring knee injury.
The 19-year-old picked up a knock in training that has been causing him problems - also forcing him to miss last week's goalless draw against fellow strugglers
Sunderland.
Exacerbating the problem is the current mystery surrounding the injury, as it remains unclear whether the youngster will require surgery.
And while he waits for a second opinion on Barnes' condition, Rams boss Paul Jewell said he would not put the player's future in jeopardy by forcing him into an early return to action.
"It is a bad blow for the lad but hopefully with the rehabilitation he will be back sooner rather than later," Jewell told the club's website.
The new Derby manager is almost certain to be relegated with Derby in his first few months in charge, with the team sitting bottom of the league and 15 points adrift of safety with only ten games of the season to go.
And he said the unlikely task of keeping the club in the Premier League this season had made the decision easier regarding whether to push the youngster's recovery period.
"Obviously this season has been a disaster for us as far as staying up is concerned so it wouldn't make sense to rush anyone back with next season in mind," he added.
Barnes courted interest from a number of clubs last summer and in the January transfer window - most notably
Tottenham Hotspur.
However, he has so far opted to remain with the team that offered him his first professional contract in 2005.