John Eustace says he has the "full support" of Derby County owner David Clowes, but the Championship head coach is under no illusions about what that support is conditional on: points on the board.

Derby sit second from bottom of the Championship table after winning just one of their opening 11 league games. They are three points adrift of Norwich City in 21st place and face a trip to Sheffield United on Saturday in a fixture that carries obvious urgency.

Eustace met with Clowes this week for what the manager described as a positive discussion. "I've met David and we had some dinner and we chatted about things and he said 'you've got my full support'," Eustace told BBC Radio Derby. "We understand it's a difficult situation at the moment with the injuries but he's fully confident that we'll get through this difficult moment."

That last phrase, "difficult moment", is doing a fair amount of work. Derby's defensive injury list has been severe and sustained throughout the early weeks of the season. Sondre Langas, Matt Clarke, Craig Forsyth and Eiran Cashin are all unavailable, and the problems have now been compounded by captain Lewis Travis turning his ankle in last Saturday's defeat to Stoke City. Travis is expected to miss around a fortnight.

Eustace confirmed that goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterstrom has returned to training after a knee problem, and that striker Patrick Agyemang is doing light work on his way back from an Achilles injury. Those are modest crumbs of comfort for a squad that has been patching its back line together week to week.

"We've got to remember we're working with a defence that we have to keep patching up, goalkeeper changing and as soon as we get a settled team, I know there's a lot more to come from the group," Eustace said. He added that a back-three formation was among the tactical adjustments he was considering, given the shortage of available central defenders.

The manager was direct about where accountability sits. "Ultimately I've got to get results. The buck stops with me and I have to now find a solution on how to get some points," he said. "It's a results-driven business. I've got a fantastic owner. I've always had his full support but I have to get results for the team. So we'll be judged on that."

Eustace is in his second full season at Pride Park, having guided the Rams back to the second tier. The tone from the owner, as relayed by the manager, sounds supportive; the language from Eustace himself sounds like a man who is aware that a sympathetic chairman and a leaky defence are not enough to keep him in a job if the table does not shift.

Whether the injury disruption fully explains a return of one win from 11 games is a question Derby supporters will be weighing up. A club that came up from League One with genuine ambitions of consolidation, if not more, cannot afford to let the gap to safety grow much wider. Three points is manageable; six or seven begins to look structural rather than circumstantial.

For now, the public line from owner and manager is solidarity. The Sheffield United fixture on Saturday will tell its own story.

Frequently asked

Is John Eustace still Derby County manager?
Yes. As of this report, Eustace remains Derby County head coach and says he has the full backing of owner David Clowes, though he acknowledges he must get results.
Where are Derby County in the Championship table?
Derby are second from bottom after 11 games, with one win to their name and three points behind Norwich City in 21st place.
Which Derby County players are injured?
Sondre Langas, Matt Clarke, Craig Forsyth, Eiran Cashin and captain Lewis Travis are all currently unavailable. Goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterstrom and striker Patrick Agyemang are working their way back.