Widell Zetterstrom Ruled Out for Two Months

Derby County’s season has taken another heavy blow, with first-choice goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterstrom facing up to two months on the sidelines with a knee injury.

The 28-year-old was hurt in the second half of Saturday’s 2-1 defeat at Birmingham City. For a moment it looked as though he would have to come off, but he stayed on, played through the pain and finished the game. The damage, though, has now caught up with him.

Scans have forced Widell Zetterstrom to pull out of the Sweden squad for their four upcoming Nations League group fixtures against Romania, Poland and Bosnia-Herzegovina in late September and early October. His recovery timeline points towards a mid-November return at best.

That spells trouble for a Derby side already creaking under the weight of injuries. If the estimates hold, the Swede could miss as many as eight Championship matches for a Rams team stuck in the lower reaches of the table and searching for stability.

The setback came on a grim afternoon at St Andrew’s. Before Widell Zetterstrom’s knee issue, Henrik Meister had already been taken off on a stretcher after a head knock, another worrying sight for Derby’s medical staff and travelling support.

Both now join a packed treatment room. Matt Clarke, Derry Murkin, Filip Bilbija, Rhian Brewster, Craig Forsyth and Lewis Travis are all already out, leaving Derby’s squad stretched thin just weeks into the campaign.

The loss of Widell Zetterstrom cuts particularly deep. Derby did well to fend off transfer interest in the summer after his standout performances at the World Cup, keeping him as a cornerstone of their rebuild. Now they must cope without him.

Josh Vickers, on the bench for every league game so far this season, is expected to step in. His task is clear and unforgiving: steady a wounded side, fill the gloves of a World Cup performer, and help drag Derby away from danger while the club counts down the days to mid-November.