Derby County are back in action on home turf on Wednesday night against Sheffield Wednesday in the Sky Bet Championship for what will be their final midweek fixture at Pride Park Stadium before Christmas (7:45pm kick-off).
Phillip Cocu’s side are unbeaten in eight matches on home turf and will look to keep that fine run going against the Owls.
Here, dcfc.co.uk has gathered all the information you will need ahead of the clash with Garry Monk's side.
TEAM NEWS…
Derby have no fresh injury concerns to report ahead of the midweek clash with the Owls.
Krystian Bielik started in the 1-0 loss at Blackburn Rovers on Saturday, after missing the recent draw against Queens Park Rangers with a hip issue, and while he still has a minor issue it is expected that he will be available for selection once again.
Tom Huddlestone (hamstring) and Matt Clarke (knee) are making good progress in their rehabilitation programmes and, despite being back on the grass stepping up their recovery, they remain out of action.
Graeme Shinnie (hamstring), Mason Bennett (ankle) and Ikechi Anya (calf) are still out.
Manager Phillip Cocu could opt to shuffle his pack following the weekend’s defeat at Ewood Park, particularly with the Rams playing three games inside a week.
Wayne Rooney, while still training with the Rams, is not eligible for selection until January and will instead join the coaching staff on the bench for the game once again.
PRE-MATCH THOUGHTS…
Speaking to RamsTV, ahead of Wednesday's match manager Phillip Cocu said: “We have two games inside four days at Pride Park and it is a good opportunity for us to continue the positive streak we have in the home games.
“Of course, we will do everything in our power to get another home win on Wednesday night.
“If we can pull it off, it will help the fans to look forward to the Saturday game against Millwall.”
He added: “It is always about games from the point of view of the coaching staff.
“For myself, as a manager, sometimes it is good to have a bit more time on training, but players look forward to playing games every few days. It is positive to play a lot of games and I am looking forward to it.”
More pre-match thoughts from the Derby boss in the lead-up to Wednesday night's game can be found across dcfc.co.uk and RamsTV.
HOW TO SECURE YOUR SEAT…
Tickets are still available for Wednesday night's game at Pride Park Stadium.
Supporters are advised to purchase in advance to avoid the matchday
price increase, which comes into action from 10am on Wednesday morning.
Match Tickets for Home Members start at:
* £ 8.00 Child (Age 2-12)
* £13.60 Youth (Age 13-17)
* £17.60 Young Adult (Age 18-21)
* £24.80 Adult (Age 22-64)
* £16.80 Senior (Age 65+)
Important! Home Membership benefits include: 20% Discount on General Public Match Ticket pricing; free ticket to a club selected match; early access to tickets prior to general public on-sale; and zero online booking fees. Click here for more information.
Match Tickets for General Public start at:
* £10.00 Child (Age 2-12)
* £17.00 Youth (Age 13-17)
* £22.00 Young Adult (Age 18-21)
* £31.00 Adult (Age 22-64)
* £21.00 Senior (Age 65+)
Tickets can be purchased without a booking fee from the Derby County Ticket Office, presented by SeatGeek, but are subject to £1 per ticket booking fee if purchased online or via phone 0871 472 1884 (calls cost 13p per minute plus your phone company’s access charge); and an additional £1 per transaction delivery fee is applicable for tickets posted. Buy your match tickets here.
And have you tried this season’s brand new matchday experience, the Captain's Club?
Offering one of the best views in the stadium from only £60 (+ VAT) including match ticket and unlimited chef’s buffet table, the Captain’s Club is a relaxed informal matchday hospitality experience in contemporary surroundings with regular visits from captains, past and present. Book the Captain’s Club here.
For more matchday hospitality options, please email [email protected] or call 01332 821073.
Match Tickets and Matchday Hospitality subject to availability. Terms & Conditions apply.
JIM SMITH...
There will be a minutes applause prior to kick-off on Wednesday evening to honour Derby County former manager Jim Smith, who sadly passed away on Tuesday at the age of 79.
A full tribute will take place on Saturday for the Rams’ home game against Millwall.
WHAT'S TO COME IN THE RAM...
Spanning six pages, The Ram sat down with 18-year-old midfielder Jason Knight to take a look back over his whirlwind year that has seen him being crowned as Under-18s National Champion, step up to the Ireland Under-21s and earn his full Sky Bet Championship debut with the Rams.
As ever, The Ram will be jam-packed with exclusive columns and interviews, as well as news and retails for £3 around Pride Park Stadium.
WHO’S THE MAN IN THE MIDDLE…
Stephen Martin will be the man in the middle on Wednesday evening for what will be his third Derby County match of the campaign.
Martint took charge of the Rams' 2-1 home defeat to Bristol City back in August as well as the 3-0 defeat at Charlton Athletic in October.
He has overseen 16 matches so far this season, producing 35 yellows and one red card.
Martin will be assisted by Andrew Fox and Shaun Hudson on the lines, whilst Andy Woolmer has been appointed as the fourth official.
HOW TO FOLLOW THE ACTION…
Fans in the UK and across the
globe can enjoy the very best coverage of the clash against Sheffield Wednesday tomorrow night by logging
on to RamsTV - and those purchasing a package to watch the game will be
able to see Wayne Rooney and Leon Osman in the studio for the Matchday
Live Show.
Lead presenter Owen Bradley is to be joined live in the RamsTV studio by the special guests, alongside regular pundits, on Wednesday evening (7:45pm kick-off).
RamsTV’s extended and exclusive pre-match show will start from 7pm and will feature a Wayne Rooney documentary, live
studio chat, expert analysis, team news and player interviews
building-up to kick-off at 7:45pm.
England and Manchester
United's all-time leading goalscorer Rooney will officially become a
Derby player in January and he will be in the studio ahead of the game
getting against the Owls underway to discuss how he's settling into life
with the Rams.
Meanwhile former England and Everton
midfielder Osman, who also had a brief spell with the Rams back in 2004
and is regarded as one of the club's best-ever loan signings, will be a
guest on RamsTV throughout the evening.
After hanging up his
boots in 2016, Osman is now a respected pundit for the likes of Sky
Sports and BBC Sport in the UK as well as the Premier League's worldwide
coverage.
With Derby's fixture against the Owls falling outside of the traditional Saturday 3pm kick-off slot, fans based in the UK and around the world will be able to stream the game on dcfc.co.uk or through the official Derby County App.
Here’s what’s included in RamsTV’s exclusive coverage of the game:
- The full match streamed LIVE and in HD
- A multi-camera mix covering all the action from Pride Park Stadium
- Instant and multi-angle replays
- Full match commentary with expert analysis
- Match graphics
- A full 45-minute pre-match show - featuring Wayne Rooney - with interviews, exclusive features and lively studio discussion
- Expert half-time and post-match analysis
The game with Sheffield Wednesday will be available to stream in the UK & Ireland for the one-off pay-per-view charge of £10, which is a price set by the EFL.
Fans outside of the UK will be able to stream the game as part of their RamsTV subscription or for the usual one-off pay-per-view price of £5.
You can pre-purchase access to the Matchday Live show and the entire game now by clicking here.
Here’s just a taster of the RamsTV Matchday Live experience...
