Derby County host Fleetwood Town in the second round of the EFL Trophy this evening and there is one talented youngster that Paul Warne could unleash this evening.
Whilst the Rams are flying high in League One following four straight victories, the allure of silverware is an attractive proposition for the club.
Derby are currently in sixth position, two points above seventh place Barnsley and will look to stamp their authority on their fellow third tier rivals this evening.
Fleetwood are struggling towards the foot of the table and are currently occupying the fourth and final relegation spot.
Unlike Warne’s side, the Cod Army are in disastrous form and the only two victories they’ve recorded in their last eight matches have come against fellow relegation rivals, Stevenage and Reading.
With this in mind, Derby have a fantastic opportunity to heap further misery onto their divisional rivals by booking their place in the third round of the competition.
Given the hosts have had a week’s rest following a 1-0 victory over Port Vale last Tuesday, Warne could name a strong side to show he’s taking this competition seriously.
That said, one change he could make tactically is dropping Ryan Nyambe and moving Kane Wilson back to right back while unleashing Louie Sibley on the right flank.
Will Louie Sibley start v Fleetwood?
Once regarded as one of the biggest prodigies to be unearthed from the Derby academy, Sibley shot onto the scene as an 18-year-old in the 2019/20 campaign and made 11 appearances towards the end of that season.
At the time, the Rams were comfortably in mid-table and the teenage superstar showcased his fearlessness and talent by scoring five goals, including a hat-trick against Millwall, to become one of their most influential players.
Since that campaign, in which he racked up seven goal contributions in the Championship, Sibley has been brought back down to earth and hasn’t managed to eclipse that single-season total since.
Still only 22, the fleet-footed attacking midfielder – who was lauded by broadcaster Geoff Peters as a ‘real talent’ in 2020 – has years to develop into the potential that his formative years promised.
Although he’s only registered one assist in 11 League One appearances this term, Sibley has shown glimpses of his talent in the EFL Trophy and has scored three times.
Whilst he can play anywhere across the front, the youngster finds joy cutting in from the right flank and wreaking havoc with his wand of a left foot.
Indeed, if he can show the true potential of his talent once more, Fleetwood could be in big trouble this evening.