"A devastating blow" - Derby County: Response voiced to Eiran Cashin situation | OneFootball

The centre-back suffered the injury against Portsmouth in the Rams' most recent home game, and is set to miss the next few weeks.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Derby County suffered a crushing 2-1 defeat to Luton Town on Friday evening at Kenilworth Road, with the hosts scoring late to first equalise and then take all three points.

It was the first game for Paul Warne to contend without Eiran Cashin, who sustained a hamstring injury in the Rams' most recent home game against Portsmouth. The centre-back scored a fantastic header in the 4-0 win before pulling up in the second half.

His manager revealed that he will miss the rest of 2025, and seemingly the first weeks of the new year, meaning that a replacement has to be found.

Nat Phillips and Sonny Bradley both slotted in to a back three alongside Curtis Nelson against Luton at the weekend, but losing Cashin could prove to be a huge moment in Derby's season.

Verdict made on Eiran Cashin's loss

The 23-year-old has been crucial to Warne's plans over the last couple of years, and he has formed an excellent partnership with Nelson at the back, and it is one that is going to be missed by supporters and the rest of the team alike.

However, there was always the possibility that something like this was going to occur, and the Rams have had to be prepared for it.

Nevertheless, Football League World has asked their Derby Fan Pundit, Shaun Woodward, just how much of a blow losing the centre-back will be.

He told FLW: "Losing Eiran Cashin is absolutely massive, it's a devastating blow for the club at the busiest time of year. It couldn’t have happened at the worst time, and the fact he was in absolutely amazing form as well, it is a massive blow.

"I think we'll be lying if we say that it's going to be fine as we've got reinforcements because none of them are on the same level as Cashin. Nat Phillips is okay, and Sonny Bradley can come in and do a job, but neither of them are in the same league as Cashin.

"He's unbelievable on the ball, he's a born leader and his partnership with Nelson as well is something that's been built up over two seasons, and it's not something that you can just replicate."

Shaun continued: "It's huge for us and I think teams will be looking at our team sheet now knowing that Cashin is not in it, and they are going to be lifted by that. He's also one of our best players at starting our attacks as well. It's been a big part of our game, Cashin spraying the ball across the field.

"So, without that, we're not just losing a great defender, we're losing someone who can put us on the front foot as well. It's a huge blow and I do worry about potential results without him because they're all tough fixtures over Christmas, so it's going to be it's going to be a tough one.

"But we've got a squad for a reason, so someone's going to have to come in and step up and do the job, but it's not going to be pretty."

Cashin's loss will be felt against West Bromwich Albion and Leeds United

While they looked relatively strong against Luton, upcoming games against West Bromwich Albion and then Leeds United will be difficult for the Rams now that they have lost their main defender.

It's important that whoever comes in to replace Cashin in the coming weeks works a relationship with Nelson quickly, as this is the key to ensuring that Derby remain defensively sound.

Defending from the front is now a priority for Warne and his team, and the likes of Ebou Adams will have to step up even more than he already has done this season to ensure the backline is not left exposed to opposition attacks.

Cashin's loss will be felt greatly over the course of the next month, but it is not the end of Derby's season, and they have plenty of quality in their ranks to make sure that they do not drop towards the relegation zone.