3/1 To Win
Derby County boss Nigel Pearson says he’s delighted to have Andreas Weimann back in contention for a first-team spot.
The Austrian international attacker sustained a knee injury in training during the week leading up to the start of the 2016/17 season, which ruled him out of action for six weeks.
Weimann had enjoyed a positive pre-season campaign and scored in Derby’s 2-0 win at Karlsruher, which was their final friendly ahead of the new season.
Pearson labelled Weimann as one of Derby’s ‘best performers’ in pre-season and, after completing his rehabilitation programme, resumed full training last week.
He came off the bench in the Rams’ 1-1 draw at Bristol City at the weekend and produced a lively display at Ashton Gate.
Ahead of Tuesday’s EFL Cup Round Three tie against Liverpool, which Weimann could feature in, Pearson says he’s pleased to have 25-year-old available for selection once again.
He told Rams Player HD: “It’s great to have Andi back.
“He has been very frustrated because he’s missed the opening stages of the season after working so hard in pre-season.
“He was one of our best performers in pre-season and he is a popular player amongst the group.
“Andi brings us energy and a bit of experience as well so it’s good to have him back.”
Ahead of the game against Liverpool, Pearson says Derby are nursing a few knocks following the draw at Bristol City.
Matej Vydra and Ikechi Anya are cup tied, having played for Watford earlier in the competition, and will watch on from the stands.
Anya was substituted in the second half of the game at Ashton Gate after taking a bang to his ribs.
As a result, Pearson says his workload is being tailored towards being available for selection for Saturday’s home game with Blackburn Rovers.
“We’ve got one or two knocks which we are looking at,”he said when previewing the Liverpool game.
“Anya hasn’t trained today but he could have done. We just felt it was a chance to make the most of the opportunity to lighten the load on his training.
“He has had a fairly easy day today and the rest of the week will be tailored towards him being ready for Blackburn.
“When players are injured, suspended or cup tied, it is about how you manage the workload for their next available game.”
