Bird Handed First Sky Bet Championship Start Against Aston Villa

Eighteen-year-old midfielder Max Bird has been handed his first Sky Bet Championship start by manager Frank Lampard this afternoon for the game against Aston Villa (3pm kick-off).

He is one of six changes to the starting line-up which faced Nottingham Forest on Monday night.

Scott Carson is recalled to the starting line-up following his injury for his first start since the game against Leeds United at Elland Road in mid-January. He replaces Kelle Roos who drops to the substitute’s bench.

Elsewhere, Andre Wisdom replaces Jayden Bogle at the back whilst in midfield, George Evans, Florian Jozefzoon and Mason Bennett are handed starts.

Bogle drops to the bench and so do Harry Wilson and Martyn Waghorn. They are joined by Under-23s winger Jayden Mitchell-Lawson who could be in line to make his debut for the Rams if he features at Villa PArk.

Aston Villa: Steer, Whelan, Grealish (C), Houihane, Abraham, El Ghazi, Elphick, Elmohamady, Hause, Adomah, Mings.

Substitutes: Kalinic, Taylor, Carroll, Jedinak, Green, Bjarnason, Kodjia.

Derby County: Carson, Wisdom, Tomori, Keogh (C), Jozefzoon, Marriott, Evans, Holmes, Bennett, Cole, Bird.

Substitutes: Roos, Malone, Bogle, Johnson, Wilson, Waghorn, Mitchell-Lawson.