Derby County are back in Championship action tonight, with Birmingham City at St. Andrews the opponents.
Wayne Rooney’s side are looking to bounce back from defeat to Preston last time out, with victory over a Blues side that are winless in their last four in the Championship.
City ground out a 0-0 draw with Nottingham Forest on Boxing day, and will be determined to get back to winning ways.
Following a quick turnaround, here is how we believe Derby will line up to face Aitor Karanka’s side:
Given Derby’s improvements in recent weeks, Rooney will be hoping to make as few changes as possible.
David Marshall, Nathan Byrne, Andre Wisdom Matt Clarke and Lee Buchanan have all been looking solid, but Rooney may just decide to go with Craig Forsyth at left-back as a means of countering Birmingham’s height and directness.
At 6ft 2in, the 31-year-old Scot might be better equipped for this particular challenge.
In midfield, Krystian Bielik is likely to act as the anchor, with Graeme Shinnie and Jason Knight operating a bit further forwards where they can press high and frustrate.
In the final third, Rooney will be forced into one change, with Martyn Waghorn picking up a red card against Preston.
Perhaps the most natural replacement would be Tom Lawrence, but Rooney rates his chances of featuring as ‘unlikely’, although he will be assessed ahead of the game. There could therefore be a recall for two-cap USA international Duane Holmes.
On the left, Kamil Jozwiak should start and Colin Kazim-Richards will be in pursuit of his third goal for the club.