Lawrence Returns For Derby’s Meeting With Brentford

Tom Lawrence is back from suspension and straight into the Derby County starting line-up for this afternoon’s Sky Bet Championship fixture against Brentford at Pride Park Stadium (12:30pm kick-off).

Lawrence has missed Derby’s last three matches due to suspension, following his sending off at the end of the Rams’ 2-1 home victory over Reading at the end of June.

The Wales international forward has scored ten goals during the campaign and boosts manager Phillip Cocu’s attacking options against the high-flying Bees.

Midfielder Duane Holmes is out with a hamstring injury sustained in the first half of Derby’s 2-0 defeat at West Bromwich Albion in midweek, while Louie Sibley starts after having his red card in the game at the Hawthorns rescinded.

Lawrence’s return, as well as the inclusion of Jason Knight and Max Lowe in the side, means there are three changes from the loss against the Baggies with Scottish pair Graeme Shinnie and Craig Forsyth reverting to the bench.

Martyn Waghorn is still unavailable due to suspension - serving the second game of his three-match ban - while defender Andre Wisdom, striker Jack Marriott and midfielder Krystian Bielik remain out of action due to injury.

Derby’s starting line-up includes five players from the club’s Academy, while a further four are on the bench for Cocu to call upon.

Derby County: Hamer, Lawrence, Clarke, Evans, Martin, Lowe, Rooney, Bogle, Knight, Sibley, Bird.

Substitutes: Roos, Forsyth, Shinnie, Jozefzoon, Davies, Whittaker, Hector-Ingram, Buchanan, Brown.

Brentford: Raya, Henry, Pinnock, Norgaard, Benrahma, Watkins, Dasilva, Emiliano, Jonsson, Mbeumo, Roerslev.

Substitutes: Daniels, Canos, Valencia, Thompson, Dervisoglu, Jensen, Zamburek, Fosu, Dalgaard.