Derby County will be looking to bounce back from their recent 4-2 defeat to Blackburn Rovers.
The Rams did not get their 2024/25 Championship season off to a great start as they were beaten by Blackburn Rovers on the opening day.
Paul Warne faces a tough challenge keeping the Derbyshire outfit away from the relegation zone this term, especially with a meeting against Middlesbrough on the horizon.
It was not all negative for the newly promoted side over the weekend, however. Curtis Davies backed David Ozoh to impress for Derby in the 2024/25 season after his showing on Friday.
Another summer addition, Ben Osborn was praised by Paul Heckingbottom, who previously worked with the midfielder at Sheffield United.
In truth, though, Derby County were simply outclassed by the Rovers on Friday evening, suggesting they face an uphill battle for survival this season.
Warne has since turned to the transfer market in a bid to improve his first-team squad, with striker Cauley Woodrow of interest to Derby.
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Richie Barker drops Derby County team selection hint for Chesterfield
Luckily for Derby, however, they will not have to wait too long to bounce back from their opening-day loss.
The Rams are set to face League Two outfit Chesterfield in the first round of the League Cup at 7:45pm BST on Tuesday, August 13th.
Cup competitions are often viewed as secondary by most clubs in the Championship given they will probably lose out to one of the Premier League teams at some point anyway.
However, for a side like Derby, it could prove a good way to get some early-season confidence.
When speaking about team selection to the club’s media ahead of the tie, assistant coach Richie Barker stressed the importance of Derby picking up a win, even with changes expected to be made to the eleven.
He said: “We are wanting to win it, because winning is a habit, and cup runs are important.
“We also have an eye on Saturday’s game against Middlesbrough but, on the flip side of it, there are one or two people who may need minutes.
“The most important thing is about winning. In fairness, it doesn’t matter who we put out in the game on Tuesday night. We expect to win and we want to win.
“Even with the changes we may make, we would expect that they don’t make us any weaker. We want to make the team as strong as possible. We won’t be treating it as just a Tuesday night where we’ve got a game on Saturday. We want to win the tie.”
What changes will Derby County make vs Chesterfield
With Warne’s options still limited between the sticks despite Derby agreeing to sign Jacob Widell Zetterstrom from Djurgardens, Josh Vickers will likely keep his place in the team.
However, there could be some major changes further forward, especially in midfield.
Ozoh and Osborn will likely be rested ahead of a huge game against Middlesbrough this Saturday.
This could see Liam Thompson and fellow summer signing Ebou Adams come into the team in their place.
Nathaniel Mendez-Laing and Tom Barkhuizen will almost certainly have to keep their starting spots, however, as Derby have limited options in the wide areas at present.
There could be a new face up top, however, with Kayden Jackson expected to be rested for James Collins.