Derby County's rollercoaster of a year took a turn for the worse earlier this week after it was revealed that one of their key players will miss a considerable chunk of the upcoming campaign.
Jason Knight is set to be out of action for up to three months after suffering an ankle injury which was inflicted by manager Wayne Rooney in training.
With the Rams currently short of options in a host of positions, they desperately need to draft in some fresh faces in the coming days in order to give themselves the best chance of making a relatively positive start to the season.
However, despite the fact that Derby have been granted permission to sign out-of-contract players by the EFL, they have yet to seal a deal this summer.
Although Rooney has recently insisted that the players who are currently on trial at the club are looking to sign contracts at Pride Park, the restrictive nature of the Rams' transfer embargo has made it extremely difficult to complete.
Considering that some of these individuals have received offers from elsewhere, Derby will be forced to look at alternative options if they cannot strike an agreement.
However, before Rooney drafts in new players, he may be forced to wave goodbye to one of the club's prospects if recent reports are anything to go by.
According to the Derby Telegraph, Rams prospect Bobby Duncan has been granted permission to talk to Danish side Vejle Boldklub who are keen to bolster their attacking options by drafting in the forward.
Since joining Derby last year, the 20-year-old has struggled to make any inroads at Pride Park.
Limited to just one senior appearance during the previous campaign, Duncan has yet to prove his worth for the Rams and is now seemingly edging closer to an exit.
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Although it could be argued that Derby cannot afford to be letting players leave due to the fact that they have an incredibly small squad, they may not necessarily miss Duncan if he does depart.
With Colin Kazim-Richards set to lead the line once again for the Rams next season after netting eight goals for the club in the Championship during the previous campaign, Duncan may have found it difficult to displace the Turkey international.
Considering that the former Liverpool man's current contract at Pride Park is not set to expire until 2023, Derby could be in line to receive a respectable fee for him which could be used by Rooney to reinvest into his squad.
Providing that the Rams boss is able to draft in some classy operators between now and the end of the transfer window, he could potentially finally give the club's supporters something to shout about in the coming months.
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