Chris Martin is determined to return to action as quickly as possible after being ruled out of action for ‘a couple of weeks’ due to injury.
Chris Martin is determined to return to action as quickly as possible after being ruled out of action for ‘a couple of weeks’ due to injury.
The 26-year-old Scotland international striker, who leads Derby’s goalscoring chart this season with 19, picked up a hamstring injury in last Tuesday’s 2-2 draw with AFC Bournemouth.
Martin is nursing an injury for the first time since joining Derby almost two years ago from Norwich City.
He hopes to return sooner rather than later to lead the Rams’ promotion charge.
He told www.dcfc.co.uk: “I was frustrated initially to be injured but I am over that now and looking ahead.
“The scan was positive really compared to what I thought it might be, so hopefully in a couple of weeks I’ll be back in action with the help of the medical team.
“It was quite innocuous really, I stretched to get on the end of a cross towards the near post, extended my knee a little too much and it put pressure on my hamstring.
“It was quite early on; I tried to play on and given I haven’t had too many muscle injuries I just tried to run it off and it wasn’t happening.
“It is disappointing to get injured and I’ll be rooting the lads on from the sidelines for the next few games.”
Derby currently sit third in the Sky Bet Championship with 16 games left to play this season.
Martin is confident that the Rams will be in just as good a position, if not stronger, when he returns to fitness.
He has also moved to praise the contribution of on-loan Aston Villa forward Darren Bent, who has scored five times in six appearances since his arrival.
He said: “I am sure we’ll be in just as good a position when I get back.
“We have some great options in attack and Darren Bent has shown how good he is and that he can score goals.
“What a fantastic person he is to come into the side and I have no doubt we can maintain the form we have shown of late.
“The next few months will be exciting but we have to use the old cliché and take it one game at a time.
“We are in football for these big moments, big games and the opportunity to achieve something very special here, together.
“We know what we all want and I think we have a fantastic chance.”