3/1 To Win
Rams to face Russian outfit in the first of two pre-season games in Austria.
Derby County will face Russian Premier League outfit Zenit St Petersburg in their latest pre-season friendly this evening (Tuesday 22nd July), as part of their pre-season tour of Austria.
Steve McClaren’s men will take on Zenit at 6:30pm local time (5:30pm BST) at SC Kalsdorf's Stadium, Sports Zentrum Kalsdorf in the first of two pre-season matches on Austrian soil.
The Rams will also face Slavija Sarajevo on Friday 25th July with a 6pm kick-off (5pm BST).
Derby have four wins (1-0 against Matlock, 2-1 against Nuneaton, 4-2 against Northampton and 3-1 against Notts County) and a draw (0-0 against Ilkeston FC) to their name in pre-season to date.
However, they are set for their sternest test yet against Zenit.
Managed by former Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur boss André Villas-Boas, Zenit finished the 2013/14 campaign as runners up in the Russian Premier League and reached the final round of 16 in the Champions League, before being knocked out by Borussia Dortmund.
Zenit’s squad includes Brazilian international forward Hulk, who finished the 2013/14 campaign as the club’s leading scorer with 17 goals, Belgium international midfielder Axel Witsel as well as former Arsenal player and Russian international, Andrey Arshavin.
Steve McClaren is expected to hand a first pre-season appearance to midfielder George Thorne.
The 21-year-old signed a four-year deal with Derby on Saturday from Premier League West Bromwich Albion for an undisclosed fee.
After reporting back for pre-season training two weeks ago with the Baggies, McClaren is eager to get Thorne up to speed with the rest of the Derby squad.
Craig Bryson made his comeback from a knee injury in the 3-1 win at Notts County on Saturday and after suffering no repercussions, could be involved.
Goalkeeper Lee Grant (knee) is in Austria continuing his rehabilitation work but won’t feature while Paul Coutts (hip flexor) and Zak Whitbread (back) are again absent.
Trialist Allasane Toure has travelled with the squad after featuring at Notts County and could be involved again.
Matchday Ticket Information
Derby County fans can pay on the day at the stadium, should they have made the journey over to Austria. There are no tickets available to purchase from anywhere else.
Ticket Prices
€10 Adults
€7 for Children & Students.
dcfc.co.uk will be in attendance at the game to tweet regular match updates via @dcfcofficial and also provide a full match report and match images after the final whistle.
* Please note live match updates are subject to working internet connection.
