Pre-Match Pack: Aston Villa (A)

The Rams hit the road with a trip to B6 for the first time in 10 years and dcfc.co.uk has pulled together all the information you need to know ahead of our clash with Aston Villa on Saturday…

Craig Bryson and Johnny Russell have returned to training ahead of Derby County’s Sky Bet Championship fixture at Aston Villa on Saturday.
Midfielder Bryson has missed the Rams’ last two games with a hip injury while Russell sat out Tuesday’s 0-0 draw against Burton Albion with a hamstring complaint. 
The Scottish duo were back training with the rest of the Derby squad on Thursday morning ahead of this weekend’s game at Villa Park. 
Manager Steve McClaren told RamsTV: “Craig Bryson and Johnny Russell are back in training. 
“That’s good and gives us more options to choose from.” 


Chris Baird is also set to be available for selection after missing the Burton fixture due to illness. 
Nick Blackman, however, who didn’t feature against Burton due to a knee injury, is unlikely to have recovered in time for this weekend’s fixture - while Jason Shackell missed Thursday's session with a back problem. 
That means that, other than long-term absentees George Thorne and Craig Forsyth, McClaren could have near fully-fit squad to choose from.


Speaking to the media ahead of Saturday’s trip to Villa Park, Steve McClaren told RamsTV: “It’s two teams trying to find the solution; for us it’s about finding it again. 
“For Aston Villa, they will be looking to kick on following the signings that they made in January. 
“It’s about us and what we do; we’re looking to go there and put on a performance. I feel it’s a great game for us and a big one.
“Our rhythm has been disrupted lately but we’re trying to find it again and get back to what we had before Christmas. 
“It’s proving to be difficult and we’re searching for that team to get us on another run. 
“The reaction from the players was good against Burton and we got a clean sheet and didn’t look like conceding, but we just couldn’t break them down.”
He added: “We were expecting a better return from those games of course. 
“There are times in the Championship where you go right through, have a great run and get three wins in a week. 
“Sometimes it can be the other way around and two draws and a defeat wasn’t what we wanted. 
“All we can do now is try and get out there on Saturday and try to get the win.”
 
McClaren: 'We’re Looking To Find Our Rhythm Again'
Christie Hoping To Get Back To Flying Best In Coming Weeks
Opposition: ‘We Have To Give Ourselves A Chance In Games’


CONOR HOURIHANE arrived at Villa Park as one of the Sky Bet Championship’s most highly-rated midfielders.
The 26-year-old joined from Barnsley in the recent January transfer window for an undisclosed fee, penning a three-and-a-half-year deal. 
He began life back in the second tier this term like a duck to water, notching the Championship Player of the Month award for August before being called up by Martin O’Neill to two Republic of Ireland provisional squads for World Cup qualifiers late in 2016. 
In 2016/17 prior to his move, he scored six goals and provided 12 assists in 27 games across all competitions, which includes a match winning free-kick in his final match for the Tykes against Leeds United. His career journey to date has been interesting. 


After coming up through the youth ranks at Sunderland, he moved to Roy Keane’s Ipswich Town in 2010. 
Cork-born, Hourihane was transferred to Plymouth in the following season where he built up an impressive reputation in the heart of their midfield racking up 142 appearances at Home Park. 
A move to Oakwell then materialised in June 2014 where he went on to top the assists and goals chart for Barnsley - scoring 14 goals and creating 19 for his team in League One.
In 2016, Hourihane captained his side to a 3-2 triumph against Oxford United in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy final before Barnsley won the League One play-off final against Millwall to earn promotion to the Championship via the lottery of the play-offs.
Last season he weighed in with 11 goals from midfield and 18 assists.


Supporters are reminded that Derby County’s entire allocation of tickets has SOLD OUT for their Sky Bet Championship visit to Aston Villa this weekend.
The final allocation of 2,414 sold out on 15 February, making the game a complete sell-out for Rams fans. 
The Derby County Ticket Office is still running a waiting list should they have any tickets returned. 
Those interested in being added to the waiting list should email [email protected] with their name and Fan ID.




ASTON VILLA 2-0 DERBY COUNTYSaturday 03 November, 2007


It’s been just under 10 years since Derby County’s last visit to B6, when Aston Villa recorded a 2-0 win in a Premier League encounter in November 2007.
Martin Laursen and Ashley Young gave the Villans a deserved victory over the Rams on that afternoon.
Scott Carson, now Derby’s number one, had to tip over an early shot from striker Steve Howard, but the home side, who went on to finish sixth in the top flight that term, held control for most of the contest.
Derby battled hard to keep the home side at bay but they were eventually broken by a Young free kick, before Gareth Barry set up Laursen to sweep the ball home for the second just four minutes later.
Aston Villa: Carson, Mellberg, Knight (Davies, 88), Bouma, Laursen, Young (Maloney, 69), Petrov, Reo-Coker, Barry, Moore (Berger, 77), Agbonlahor
Substitutes not used: Taylor, Gardner
Derby County: Bywater, Griffin, Moore, Davis (Teale, 46), McEveley, Fagan (Earnshaw, 66), Oakley, Leacock, Pearson, Barnes, Howard
Substitutes not used: Price, Jones, Mears




ANDY MADLEY will take charge of Derby County's Sky Bet Championship fixture away to Aston Villa on Saturday.
The official has overseen 32 games so far this season, producing 111 yellows and three reds. 


His last Derby game was the 3-0 win at Ipswich Town at the end of January. 
He will be assisted by MARK DWYER and MARK RUSSELL on the lines, whilst PETER WRIGHT has been appointed as the fourth official.


Remember, you can follow Steve McClaren’s men every step of the way throughout the season with dcfc.co.uk, Rams Player HD and RamsTV.
You can follow all the action from before, during and after Saturday’s game via the club’s social media channels.
We’ll have live updates on Twitter as well as goal and match action image updates across Facebook and Instagram too.
RamsTV is Derby County's official online TV station and has been designed for you, the fans, with a cutting edge user-friendly design to give the ultimate online fan experience.


Don't forget that Derby County supporters can access RamsTV on their iPhone, iPad and Android mobile device!
Rams supporters can also listen to live match commentary by heading to Rams Player HD.
dcfc.co.uk, RamsTV and Rams Player HD are the first places to head to for all of your up to date Derby County news, views and exclusive interviews, whilst also giving you the ability to watch match highlights and games in full.
Here's a brief reflection of what you can expect across all of our digital channels...
INTERVIEWS: Exclusive interviews with Manager Steve McClaren and his playing squad, both pre-match and post-match, from every Rams game – home and away!
THE FULL 90: Rams Player HD strives to have the full 90 minutes from every single first-team game online within 48 hours of the final whistle, providing the perfect opportunity for fans who can’t get to the game or live abroad not to miss a minute!
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS: Highlights from each and every first-team game appear on Rams Player within 24 hours after every match, ensuring you don't miss out on the goals and talking points from the latest game.
FULL MATCH COMMENTARY: Rams Player HD is the ONLY place supporters can listen to Derby County's first-team matches online, with commentary is provided by BBC Radio Derby and provides near-DAB quality sound of every match.
EXTENDED MATCH HIGHLIGHTS: Rams Player HD will provide supporters with extended match highlights of every first-team game.
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