Max Lowe believes that Derby County’s Under-23s will be up for the challenge when they travel to the London Stadium to take on West Ham United in Premier League 2 - Division One.
Darren Wassall’s team will be looking to bounce back after being narrowly beaten by an experienced Nottingham Forest side last time out at Pride Park Stadium.
The Rams have faced a series of difficult tests in recent months, with wins recorded against the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur, and Lowe doesn’t think that the team will be fazed when they enter the arena that was purpose-built for the 2012 Olympic Games.
He told RamsTV: “It’s at the London Stadium but we’re not afraid of that, we’re ready for it.
“The lads have been great with me, it’s been competitive, the games have been great and we’ve been on a good run, so hopefully we can bounce back.
“We played them two years ago and they were physical, but we’re physical as well and we’re not afraid of anyone in this league, we’re going into every game thinking we can win.
“We were gutted with the Forest result, but we’ve moved on. We’ve done really well against the big clubs, kept a lot of clean sheets and now we want the three points against West Ham.”
The left-back feels that he is approaching full fitness after six months out, playing the full 90 minutes in each of the last three games, and he hopes that his improved physical condition can translate to a positive performance under the lights on Friday night.
He said: “I had abdominal pain transferring through to my groin, but now that it’s all sorted I’m just buzzing to be back playing pain-free.
“I’m feeling really good, I feel that I’m at a level where I can play 90 minutes every other day, it was my third full game in succession against Forest.
“Hopefully tomorrow I can do a lot more during the game because in terms of fitness, I’m feeling great.”
Lowe also praised the individual quality of the side, with three key players having received Player of the Month nominations so far this campaign.
He added: “The team spirit is always there, but the lads have put in some fantastic performances.
“Luke Thomas has scored some great goals, he’s a dangerous player and Alex Babos has just been called up for Wales, so there’s some great individuals in there, but we’re also playing together.”
