Shaun Barker needs an operation on a troublesome knee but wants to continue trying to keep the Rams in the Championship before undergoing the surgery.
Barker (28) has just been rewarded for his performances during this and last season with an extension to his contract.
Manager, Nigel Clough, understandably doesn't want to lose Barker until the end of the season, or at the very least the later stages of the Championship run-in.
The present problems highlight the Rams small squad and their inability to move in the transfer market during January...