Derby's Ozoh out for rest of season with thigh injury
The on-loan Crystal Palace teenager was carried off the Pride Park pitch on a stretcher on Saturday after being hurt in the last minute of normal time against Millwall, who then went on to score a 95th-minute winner.
He was making just his fifth appearance since returning to action after four months out with hamstring and quad muscle problems.
It was also his first appearance under head coach John Eustace, who says losing the 19-year-old is a "big blow to the group".
"He is a fantastic player," Eustace told BBC Radio Derby. "In my short period of working with him, you can see he has great qualities."
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Ozoh was limited to just seven appearances in his first six months with the Rams, with his injury issues starting with a hamstring problem suffered in September.
In those seven matches, however, he established himself as an instant favourite among Rams fans for the way he influenced early performances on Derby's return to the Championship after two seasons in League One.
And while Eustace will not be able to call on Ozoh on the pitch, the head coach says the teenager will still have a part to play off it.
The midfielder will stay with the second tier side, rather than return to Selhurst Park, as he recovers from his latest injury.
"He is a lovely lad and he will be great around the rest of the players now," Eustace said. "We didn't want to lose him because of his manner and personality."
Meanwhile, Eustace says the injury that forced centre-back Matt Clarke off against Millwall is "not as bad" as first feared.
Still, Clarke is said to be "touch and go" to be in contention to feature in Saturday's match against Middlesbrough, the club he left in January to re-join the Rams for a third time.
Derby, who have lost 10 matches in a 12-game winless run across all competitions since late December, are just one place and one point above rock bottom Luton Town.

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New York Times
29 minutes ago
- New York Times
2025 Tour Championship odds, DFS picks: Can anyone challenge Scottie Scheffler?
The PGA Tour season comes to an end this week at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta. The story of the season has been Scottie Scheffler's dominance, and he clinched his fifth win at the BMW Championship last week. Scheffler's chip from off the green on 17 has been replayed more than any other shot of this year's tour. Scheffler's two-season run can only be compared to the greatest ever to play the game. His 12 wins during the 2024 and 2025 PGA Tour seasons have only been matched by Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus. Advertisement Scheffler will be looking to defend his Tour Championship title from 2024 this week, but he will have a tougher time doing so as everyone in the field will be starting the tournament on level terms. The old system was underwhelming for both fans and players. This new system isn't perfect, but at least the best players in the world will have a tougher challenge to test who is at their best to end the season. And, yes, East Lake Golf Club should prove to be a strong test for the players this week. A few recent updates: The 14th hole at East Lake Golf Club has been changed from a Par 5 to a Par 4, and the rough has been lengthened a bit. The greens should be more settled after the changes that Andrew Green put in place in 2024. The key stats I will focus on include driving accuracy, strokes gained on approach, strokes gained on approach from 125 to 150 yards, 3-putt avoidance and strokes gained on difficult Par-70 golf courses that are over 7,400 yards. I will be using weighted strokes gained this week with the stacked field and the challenging course. I will play around with the number of rounds a bit, as I want to play the players who are at their best at this moment. Course: East Lake Golf Club Location: Atlanta Designer: Tom Bendelow (redesigned by Donald Ross, George Cobb, Rees Jones and Andrew Green) Par: 70 Length: 7,490 yards Average green size: 6,238 square feet Past champions: 2024 Scottie Scheffler, 2023 Viktor Hovland, 2022 Rory McIlroy, 2021 Patrick Cantlay, 2020 Dustin Johnson, 2019 Rory McIlroy Rory McIlroy (+850) is looking for his fourth Tour Championship win this week. Scheffler is the betting favorite with very short odds; when the best golfer in the world is a less than 2-to-1 favorite to win a golf tournament, you have to find some value in other spots. McIlroy had some rust to his game last week at the BMW Championship, but seemed to knock it off by the fourth round when he managed to drive a Par-4 green with a 3-wood. He will need to be a little sharper with his wedges to win this week, but I wouldn't be surprised if he wins. Advertisement Viktor Hovland (+2200) has been on fire since his poor first round at the FedEx St. Jude Championship. He has gained over nine strokes combined on approach over his last two tournaments, and he has been positive with the putter for four straight tournaments. He may not be on Michael Kim's Christmas card list this year (knocked Kim out of the Tour Championship with a birdie on the last hole at the BMW Championship), but he would be on mine if he could pull out a win this week. Tommy Fleetwood (+800) doesn't have a win on the PGA Tour, and that is not going to change this week. Fleetwood has been excellent down the stretch of the season and sits second in my power rankings and in my strokes gained weighted over his last 36 rounds. Fleetwood has gained over 10.3 strokes combined on approach over his last two tournaments. He has gained over 15 strokes putting over his last three tournaments. 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Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Shanklin shooter helps Team England clinch national championship victory
A veteran marksman is still hitting the mark and proved it at a Rifle Championship. Isle of Wight shooter Richard Wilson helped Team England secure victory in the Home Countries match at the British Smallbore Rifle Championship in Bisley, Surrey, following a week of strong performances. A member of Shanklin Rifle Club, Richard competed for seven days in extremely hot conditions, consistently performing at the top of the field. His efforts earned him a place in the top ten of Great Britain's best shooters in the elite X class category, securing another England cap. Richard said: "I'm really happy to represent England and Hampshire at this year's championship." During the week, he also represented Hampshire in two other team events, earning first and second place finishes. READ MORE: International cricket legends visit Ventnor for Lashings match England fielded a men's team of six and a mixed team of ten for the Home Countries match. Both teams competed simultaneously, with England's mixed team taking the win. The championship concluded with the prestigious Roberts Match. The top 20 shooters qualified for the final, which consisted of 40 shots at 50 metres and 40 shots at 100 yards. Richard finished 14th in a close contest.


New York Times
5 hours ago
- New York Times
Leeds target height, aerial control and tighter defence in bid for Premier League survival
Leeds United returned to the top flight after two years away with a disciplined 1-0 home win against Everton on Monday night. Promoted as 100-point champions in May under manager Daniel Farke, optimism is natural. But the backdrop to their latest elevation to the Premier League is more sobering. In each of the last two seasons, all three of the division's promoted clubs have gone straight back down — the first time that has happened. The gap between the Premier League and second-tier Championship has never been wider. The question now is whether Farke can succeed where so many (himself included) have fallen short and keep Leeds up. Advertisement Since his summer 2023 appointment at Elland Road, the German has been meticulous and calm, and he has quickly brought the club in line with his vision. The owners have invested strategically to reshape the squad. 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Leeds set up in a 4-3-3, a switch that tightens their rest defence behind the ball and protects the full-back channels that are so often targeted in the Premier League. Ethan Ampadu anchored and organised, constantly pointing and plugging gaps. Newcomer Anton Stach gave Leeds the long legs and straight lines they had sometimes lacked, covering more ground than anyone (11.7km) and taking the most touches (86). Ao Tanaka read the game well in a classy, composed Premier League debut. That balance in midfield shows why this shape suits Farke's principles without leaving soft spots. Leeds controlled the first half, forcing five corners inside 14 minutes and exciting the Elland Road crowd. The patterns were recognisable: narrow wingers to create half-space lanes, third-man runs from midfield, and pressing in waves when Everton tried to play to their full-backs. For all that pressure, though, Leeds lacked the finishing touch. Everton improved after the break and will argue the decisive late penalty was harsh, but Lukas Nmecha still had to put it away — and did. Perri looked composed throughout, making quicker decisions with the ball and asserting himself on crosses, and while Leeds' set-piece defending felt steadier, the 0.76 xG conceded from dead-ball situations, including one free header, was a reminder that better sides will punish lapses. Up front, Joel Piroe linked well with runners and gave Leeds a focal point. Once fit, new signing Dominic Calvert-Lewin should add a second phase to those patterns; a reliable out-ball, stronger far-post finishing and extra presence on set pieces. The former England striker's profile dovetails with what Leeds already do well — back-post overloads and quick, direct transitions — and offers a late-game outlet when the press fades. Advertisement The line for avoiding relegation from the Premier League typically sits between a final total of 36 and 38 points, and nearly four in five promoted teams who concede 60 goals or fewer across the following season stay up. Set pieces often tip tight margins — West Ham United's 2019–20 escape included five dead-ball goals in their final seven games. That is the context for Leeds' rebuild: more height, better aerial control and tighter defending. Their win against Everton was an early marker of that intent. Starting fast when the goal is avoiding the drop matters a lot. Opta rates Leeds' first eight fixtures as mid-table in terms of difficulty, which offers them a chance to bank points before the tough slog of winter. Recent precedent from other promoted sides is encouraging. Brighton & Hove Albion reached 21 points by Christmas in 2017–18 and finished 15th; Brentford had 20 by the same point in 2021–22 and cruised to 13th place at season's end. Both those clubs are now Premier League stalwarts. Replicating those buffers of points in the bag before the turn of the year would put Leeds ahead of the maths and perhaps turn their springtime fixtures into a matter of consolidation rather than a scramble for survival. All of this underpins Leeds' approach to the season. Height, aerial control and a loftier defensive ceiling are the benchmarks most closely tied to survival. That win against Everton was an early statement. Leeds looked the physically stronger and more cohesive team, and also showed the grit Farke's Norwich sides never quite projected in the Premier League. Everton may lack depth, but they carried momentum from the second half of last season under David Moyes, which makes Leeds' authority on Monday night more meaningful. The next step is clear. Turn spells of momentum into more clear-cut chances, not just pressure. Leeds' owners at 49ers Enterprises plan to establish them as a permanent Premier League club while pushing ahead with Elland Road's expansion. Recruitment this summer has been targeted rather than flashy; plugging obvious gaps and leaning on continuity. Eight of the starting XI against Everton had been part of last season's title run. It is a tailored blueprint, not a reset: keep the same attacking principles, reinforce the defensive structure and sign players with an eye to survival benchmarks. Advertisement The Yorkshire club's culture is moving in the same direction. Captain Ampadu set the tone by splitting promotion bonuses equally and continues to drive standards. After the Everton win, Farke paused to give Tanaka a quick coaching point before sending him to celebrate with his team-mates and the fans. Small moments like that are how habits are built. Elland Road's raucous noise will help in home games, but discipline will decide whether Leeds' early platform turns into a springboard. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle