Derby investigates ‘alcohol-related incident’

DERBY, England (AP) — English soccer club Derby says a small group of players will pay a “heavy price for their actions” as the result of an alleged “alcohol-related incident” that left captain Richard Keogh with a season-ending knee injury.

Derby released a statement Thursday, a day after two of its players — Mason Bennett and Tom Lawrence — were charged with drunk-driving following a crash late Tuesday. British newspaper The Daily Telegraph reported that Keogh sustained the injury after being in the back seat of a car that crashed into a lamppost.

The club didn’t disclose the precise nature of the incident, but did say it came after a team-building dinner involving staff and players.

The players involved will be subjected to a “rigorous internal investigation,” Derby said.

Police said Wednesday that the two men charged with drunk-driving are due to appear at a magistrate’s court on Oct. 15.

Derby plays in the second-tier League Championship and is in 18th place in the 24-team division after winning just one of its first eight games.