Derby
County face their final away fixture of 2019 in the Sky Bet Championship on Boxing Day when they head north to take on Wigan Athletic at the DW Stadium (3pm kick-off).
Phillip Cocu’s side will be looking to pick up all three points in the traditional Boxing Day clash and complete a seasonal double over the Latics for the second season in a row, following a 1-0 victory at Pride Park Stadium back in October.
dcfc.co.uk has gathered all the information you will need ahead of the meeting with the Latics.
TEAM NEWS…
Left-back Scott Malone will miss the game at the DW Stadium as he must serve a one-match ban following his sending off in the early stages of Saturday's 3-0 loss at Reading on Saturday.
His place in the side is set to go to Max Lowe, who came off the bench against the Royals and he will be looking to make the most of the opportunity to cement his place in the Derby backline going into the New Year.
Midfielder Krystian Bielik and striker Jack Marriott overcame minor niggles to feature at Reading and have had no adverse reactions and as a result will once again be in contention to start.
Youngster Louie Sibley came off the bench against Reading to make his league debut and the 18-year-old could well make the matchday squad against the Latics.
Matt Clarke (knee), Tom Huddlestone (hamstring), Mason Bennett (ankle), Graeme Shinnie (hamstring) and Ikechi Anya (calf) remain in the treatment room and out of action.
Clarke, Huddlestone and Shinnie are making good progress in their
rehabilitation programmes and are currently stepping up their workload
but remain out of contention for the time being.
In addition, midfielder George Evans is set for up to ten weeks out of action with a calf injury sustained in training last week.
WHAT THE BOSS HAD TO SAY…
Speaking to RamsTV ahead of the game, manager Phillip Cocu said: “We know that results are what football is all about.
“I have faced in my career a lot of positive periods when things go your way and you feel good you play good football.
“I have also had many difficult situations that you have to face on an individual level, such as personal injuries or being out of form.
“You always have to show a good character and be professional and believe in each other and the team.
“I
liked the reaction that I saw from the whole team at Reading on
Saturday after five minutes when we lost a player in Scott Malone to a
red card and then going 1-0 down.”
He added: “How we played from that moment on is what I want to see from my team. If we can do it with one more on the pitch, then we always have a chance on the result. We have to keep believing and fighting for it.
“I was pleased to see the attitude but also the football, the bravery on the ball which is what we missed in the game before. That is what I will keep demanding from the team and we have to work for it and stick together.”
TICKET INFORMATION…
Tickets for the Boxing Day clash are now off sale - but supporters can purchase tickets on arrival at the DW Stadium on the day of the game.
However, please note that adult ticket prices are increased compared to purchasing in advance.
Tickets will be on sale from 1:30pm from Turnstile Block P at the DW Stadium but supporters are advised that payment is by cash only.
Matchday ticket prices for Derby fans are as follows:
Adults: £15
Seniors (65+): £10
Under 18s (12-17): £5
Under 12s (2-11)*: £2
* Supporters aged 11 and below must be accompanied by someone aged 18 or above.
WHO’S THE MAN IN THE MIDDLE…
Jarred Gillett will take charge of the game at the DW Stadium on Boxing Day.
He has handed out 51 yellow cards and one red card in 14 games across all competitions this season to date.
Gillett took charge of Derby's 0-0 draw at home to Swansea City back in August, which was manager Phillip Cocu's first home game as the Rams' boss.
He will be assisted by James Mainwaring and Steven Meredith on the lines, whilst Aaron Jackson has been appointed as the fourth official.
HOW TO FOLLOW THE ACTION…
Fans based outside the UK & Ireland can watch Thursday's match LIVE on RamsTV.
RamsTV’s Matchday Live show will begin from 2:30pm BST with Owen Bradley joined by former Rams Shane Nicholson to build up to kick-off with full team news, exclusive interviews, features, stats, match clips, analysis and lively discussion.
There’ll then be LIVE HD multi-camera coverage, with instant replays and full match commentary from Owen and Shane for all the action from the Championship clash between the Latics and the Rams.
Supporters based outside of the UK and Ireland will be able to stream the game as part of their RamsTV subscription or for the one-off pay-per-view price of £5, whilst a live audio stream of the game will be available for fans based inside the UK and Ireland.
Full streaming options can be found here.
As usual, all of RamsTV’s content building up to the game, as well as all post-match reaction, will be available to watch for FREE across Derby County’s website, official app and YouTube Channel.
