The former Stoke City manager managed Eustace at the Potters and he regularly speaks to Derby County's head coach

Tony Pulis says John Eustace is facing a "tough year" at Derby County and hopes the fans understand the position he is in.

Derby have had a wretched start to the season, with just one win in 11 games, and are hoping for a much-needed victory at Sheffield United tomorrow. A crippling injury crisis has been a major factor just five months after Derby's head coach had led them to the cusp of the play-offs in the Championship.

That followed a summer in which Turki Alalshikh's takeover collapsed at the 11th hour, when the Saudi billionaire and boxing promoter pulled out of the deal just as it was about to be announced claiming there was not enough time to prepare the team for the new season. It left Derby just three weeks to complete their transfer business, which had been put on hold as the club anticipated welcoming a new owner.

It has been a perfect storm of problems and Pulis, who managed Eustace at Stoke City, says the club might have to write off this season in which they hoped to be challenging for the top eight.

"The job John Eustace did there last year was just extraordinary, absolutely fantastic," Pulis told CasinoHawks.

"You'd think, having done that job, you'd give him a little bit of money to invest. I know he's been very unlucky with injuries as well, they've had loads of injuries there.

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"There was a takeover bid where everything was being held up because the club was selling, and then all of a sudden that fell through. I speak to John, and I think he wanted to bring certain players in that never happened.

"Now he's got to buckle down and grind the season out again. Derby County gets over thirty thousand people week in, week out, and it's a club that has great potential. This year is going to be a tough year for John, but he's a strong character and he'll see it through.

"I hope the supporters understand the position he's in and that they might have to bite the bullet for another year and then hopefully get better backed next year."

Eustace's injury problems continue to pile up, with Lewis Travis the latest player to be sidelined, with the captain set for several weeks out with an ankle injury.

He is the 11th player on the treatment table in what has been an unprecedented run of injuries, eight of which have impacted the defence. It has led the club to sign Jack Robinson as a free agent although the former Birmingham City man, who hasn't played since last season, is unlikely to feature at Bramall Lane tomorrow as he improves his fitness.