Mark O'Brien could line up for Derby with the help of a pain-killing injection.
The central defender was forced off during the first half of the 3-1 home victory over Portsmouth at the weekend with a shoulder injury.
Subsequent scans revealed a sprained shoulder joint and O'Brien is rated 50-50 for the game against the Bluebirds.
Theo Robinson is another casualty from the Portsmouth match after a hamstring problem forced him off and although Chris Maguire suffered a broken nose against Pompey, he is expected to play.
However, with Robinson joining leading scorer Steven Davies (fractured skull) and summer signing Nathan Tyson (groin) on the sidelines, manager Nigel Clough is left searching for a new strike pairing.
That leaves 15-year-old schoolboy Mason Bennett, 18-year-old Callum Ball, Tomasz Cywka and Conor Doyle battling for a place alongside Maguire. Although another option could be to bring Jamie Ward in from his wide position.
Cardiff welcome back defender Anthony Gerrard.
Gerrard was suspended for the 1-1 draw with Leeds at Elland Road on Sunday after picking up five yellow cards over the course of the season.
However, the centre-back is now eligible as Cardiff go in search of their first away win in the league since the opening day of the campaign.
Forward Kenny Miller is also available for manager Malky Mackay following his recovery from a head injury. However, the Bluebirds boss is likely to stick with hotshot Joe Mason up front.
Mason, a summer signing from Plymouth, has fired three goals in his last three appearances.
Striker Rudy Gestede is two weeks away from from a return from a hamstring injury.
