Paul Warne will look to make changes to the side that lost out to Norwich City at the weekend.
Derby County will be hoping to return in positive fashion to their 3-2 loss against Norwich City, which saw Paul Warne’s side put in a brilliant attacking display despite the scoreline.
It was certainly a performance that the Rams can build on, and they were incredibly unlucky to drop points for the first time at home in the 2024/25 campaign after Norwich City arguably should have had two goals ruled out, which has led to Warne being asked whether VAR should be implemented in the Championship.
The Rams boss will have plenty of tough decisions to make following the game, especially with whether he will look to switch up his attacking frontline, which as a result could see Corey Blackett-Taylor handed his first start of the season after impressing from off the bench, and scoring an impressive goal that nearly sparked a late comeback.
Tawanda Chirewa also impressed in his short spell on the pitch vs Norwich City, leaving a selection headache for Warne, and it is made even more difficult with injuries not affecting the team selection much.
Derby County injury news ahead of Sunderland clash
It is confirmed that once again Callum Elder will miss the action after sustqaining a groin injury, which will likely see Craig Forsyth yet again get a place in the starting line up.
Crystal Palace loanee David Ozoh is also set to be absent from the clash as a return for him looks set to take place after the international break.
Both Chirewa and Kane Wilson both previously suffered minor setbacks, however they were available for the Norwich City clash, and are set to be once again.
Centre-back Jake Rooney is nearing a return for the Rams after suffering a knee injury in pre-season, however it seems unlikely that he will be thrown into the deep end against Sunderland.
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As a result, here’s how we think Derby County will line up against Sunderland.
Once again, it will be no surprise to see Jacob Widell Zetterstrom in-between the sticks for the Rams, despite conceding three goals at the weekend.
The Swedish goalkeeper will almost certainly have Eiran Cashin as one of the centre-backs in front of him after a brilliant performance vs Norwich City, however Warne may look to drop Curtis Nelson for Liverpool loanee Nat Phillips for his first league start as a result of the short turnaround between fixtures.
As for the midfield, an injury sustained by Ozoh will likely see Warne opt for an unchanged centre-of-the-park, with Ebou Adams, Ben Osborn and Kenzo Goudmijn getting the nod.
Similarly to the reason Warne may look to drop Nelson, both Nathaniel Mendez-Laing and Kayden Jackson’s place in the side may be far from guaranteed, with Blackett-Taylor’s recent positive performance looking to bolster his chances of getting in the side. Marcus Harness may also be rewarded with his patience and be handed a place in the side.
Despite not quite having the best of starts to his Derby County career, Jerry Yates will likely lead the line yet again for the Rams.
Jacob Widell Zetterstrom, Ryan Nyambe, Craig Forsyth, Eiran Cashin, Nat Phillips, Ebou Adams, Ben Osborn, Kenzo Goudmijn, Corey Blackett-Taylor, Marcus Harness, Jerry Yates