Keepers Could Return

Nigel Clough hopes to have Frank Fielding and Adam Legzdins available for Saturday’s pre-season friendly against Burton Albion.

Derby’s first and second choice goalkeepers sat out Wednesday’s pre-season opener against Mansfield Town after picking up knocks during training earlier in the week.

Saul Deeney and Mats Morch deputised for the pair in the 2-1 defeat to the Stags, but it is anticipated that both Fielding and Legzdins will get their first minutes of pre-season under their belts at the Pirelli Stadium tomorrow afternoon.

Clough said: “We hope to have Frank and Adam back and involved tomorrow at Burton.

“We would have loved to have seen them at Mansfield but it was pointless taking risks with either of them, so we should see them in action at the Pirelli Stadium.

“It’ll be good for them to get their gloves dirty again so to speak, especially with our preparations stepping up next week against Northampton and Colchester.”

On midfielder James Bailey’s fitness, who missed the Mansfield game with a knock, Clough added: “James got a knock in training on Tuesday and despite trying it out on Wednesday morning, he wasn’t right so he should be involved on Saturday too after a few days’ rest.”

Clough will also make a decision on whether or not to include Republic of Ireland youth international defender Mark O’Brien in Saturday’s squad later today.

O’Brien, 19, only recently returned to fitness after sustaining a cruciate ligament injury midway through last season.

The Rams boss said: “We’ll see how Mark is. As we’ve said over the last few days, there’s no need to rush him and we’re taking things nice and steady with him.”

With Steven Davies’s Pride Park future remaining uncertain after rejected a new deal for family reasons earlier in the summer, the striker is again unlikely to feature.

Otherwise, Derby are expected to name a similar squad to the one that travelled to Mansfield for the short journey to Burton.