It's our job to adapt without Morris - Eustace

Derby County manager John Eustace says it is "always going to be difficult to bounce back" after losing a player of Carlton Morris' quality to injury.

Morris has netted 10 league goals this season and had scored in four consecutive games before picking up an ankle injury in the first half of the 3-2 defeat by Watford, which will keep him out until February.

The Rams have lost three of their four matches since Morris limped off, including the one against the Hornets.

"You've taken a big character out of the group, a leader," Eustace told BBC Radio Derby ahead of the meeting with high-flying Millwall at Pride Park on Wednesday.

"It's our job now to adapt. Overall, I don't think we've been too bad. But you take big characters out of any team, it's always going to be difficult to bounce back.

"But we've got that bouncebackability with other players and we're looking forward to the challenges."

One player the Rams will hope can have a bigger impact to help soften the blow of losing Morris is forward Ben Brereton Diaz, who has netted just once since joining on loan from Southampton in the summer.

"I think Ben's work-rate up to now has been excellent," said Eustace.

"He's been really unlucky not to score a couple more goals. He's very experienced at this level.

"We've got to keep giving him the belief that he's going to be a match-winner for us. The recruitment to get him in was excellent with his reputation. We're very fortunate he's here.

"He hasn't scored as many goals as I'm sure he'd like but his work-rate has been superb and I'm confident the goals will come."