With an injury crisis leaving them short of options in defence, Derby County are reportedly set to sign free agent Shane Duffy.
After narrowly missing out on a play-off place last season the Rams have endured a torrid start to the current campaign and currently sit second bottom in the Championship table.
Derby claimed a respectable 1-1 draw away at Sheffield United on Saturday but the extent of the club's injury issues were laid bare in the lead-up to the game, with no fewer than eight defensive players unavailable.
Following the game reports circulated that the club were in talks to sign Duffy, who was released by Norwich at the end of last season following a three-year spell at Carrow Road.
John Eustace has already been forced into the free agent market due to a lack of options in his defensive line.
Jack Robinson arrived at the club earlier this month on an initial three-month contract.
The 33-year-old was immediately thrown into action just one week after the move was confirmed, coming off the bench in the closing stages at Bramall Lane.
With Duffy also likely to find himself quickly integrated into the first team setup we've taken a look at when he last played a competitive fixture.
When did Shane Duffy last play a competitive game?
Though he spent last season at Norwich, Duffy was restricted to just four senior appearances in all competitions as injuries curtailed his involvement.
After missing the first three months of the campaign with a calf injury, Duffy made his first start of the season at home to Hull City in November 2025 - playing the full 90 minutes in a 2-0 defeat.
Later that month Liam Manning would be sacked as Canaries boss and replaced by former Rangers boss Philippe Clement.
After being hooked at half-time against Birmingham City in the Belgian's first game in charge, Duffy would go on to make just a single further appearance last season.
That came when he was brought on as second-half a substitute in Norwich's 3-1 win against QPR on the 29th of November 2025, and he was subsequently booked in the closing stages.
Duffy would go on to be named in the matchday squad just one further time as Clement led the club to a respectable ninth in the Championship.
The Republic of Ireland international would however go on to make a single appearance for the club's youth team.
Against Bromley's U21s on the 19th of December 2025 Duffy was substituted in the first half as the club exited the Under-21 Premier League Cup in defeat.
