Derby County are back in League One action following a two week break on Saturday when they travel to the Abbey Stadium to take on Cambridge United (3pm kick-off).
Paul Warne will take charge of the Rams for the first time since being appointed as Head Coach last week and will hope his arrival can also bring with it their first away victory of the League One season.
In the lead-up to the game getting underway, dcfc.co.uk has brought together all the key information you need to know…
Team News
Midfielder Korey Smith and goalkeeper Joseph Anang remain absentees for the Rams, although both players are back on the grass in some capacity and increasing their workload.
Young defender Jake Rooney also remains out with a thigh strain.
Warne’s Words
Head Coach Paul Warne spoke to RamsTV about his first week at Derby County and looked ahead to his first game in th e dugout.
He said: "I am really looking forward to it, weirdly. Anyone who knew me before coming here will know I have been terrified in the build-up to the matches! I think we’ve done as much as we can in the time we’ve had, so I am going into this game feeling good. I know Mark Bonner well, he’s someone I like and am pally with, so I am looking forward to seeing him on Saturday. I am also looking forward to seeing the lads play. They’re such a good group here. There’s no one who hasn’t understood what we’ve wanted from them and or not bought into what we want to do. I believe the way we play will see us create chances, so it is exciting for the strikers and they’ve been excellent in training."
From The Dressing Room
Defender Craig Forsyth spoke to RamsTV about life under Paul Warne and the task at hand ahead of the trip to Cambridge.
He said: “It’s a long winter now. The games come thick and fast so hopefully we can get on a run and it will carry us through this period. We’ve got to approach it in a bullish manner in the fact that we want to go there and win. We need to win away games, there’s been no shying away from that. Already this season that’s what we need to do and we’ve not managed to do it. I’m sure the manager will have his own ideas on how he can get the best out of us to get points on the road.”
About The Opposition
After earning promotion to League One in the 2020/21 season for the first time in nearly 20 years, Cambridge United have since adapted to life in the third tier remarkably well.
Their first year back in the division saw them land a respectable 14th placed finish and it’s one they look to have built on going into this time around.
They currently sit seventh, above the Rams and with two points more having played a game extra.
Goals haven’t been hard to come by with them finding the net 14 times in the league, but at the back they have conceded 16 goals.
Forwards Sam Smith and Joe Ironside have bagged four and three respectively whilst midfielder Harvey Knibbs has found the net three times.
Manager Mark Bonner has made the team incredibly hard to beat, especially at their Abbey Stadium home where they have won every league game bar one in this campaign.
Bonner has also been heavily featured in the news this past week after he was made the firm favourite for Paul Warne’s old job at Rotherham United.
The U’s manager confirmed that he had spoken to the Millers but stated that he will be staying in Cambridgeshire and will be in the dugout for the visit of the Rams on Saturday.
Rams On The Road
Ahead of each away game this season we'll be running a feature via RamsTV called 'Rams On The Road'.
In this instalment, we look at our opponents in detail in what will be just the 18th meeting between the teams in a competitive fixture.
The last time the Rams faced off with Cambridge United was way back in March 1993 in a 0-0 draw at the Baseball Ground in the First Division.
Match Officials
Simon Mather has been appointed as the Match Referee for Saturday afternoon’s game.
Mather has officiated just seven games so far this campaign across League One, League Two, the Papa JohnsTrophy and the Carabao Cup. He’s delivered 29 yellow cards, no reds and awarded one penalty kick.
Alex James and Christopher Husband will run the lines whilst Adrian Tranter has been appointed as Fourth Official.
Ticket Information
Derby's allocation of tickets for the game this weekend have sold out.
The Rams were handed a total allocation of 1,473 tickets for the match and these have now completely sold out.
Those fans without a ticket are advised not to make the journey to Cambridge, as they will be unable to gain access to the stadium.
Broadcast Information
Domestic Streaming
Saturday’s match is NOT available for live domestic streaming under the EFL’s streaming rights.
The domestic market comprises United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Jersey, Guernsey, and the Isle of Man.
International Streaming
All League One matches may be streamed outside of the domestic market irrespective of whether they have been selected for broadcast.
This means that they will be available both on a Match-by-Match basis and for monthly subscribers.
To buy the match as a Match-by-Match fixture, for £10 per match, or to subscribe to RamsTV on a monthly basis for £19.99 per month, click here.
Audio Commentary
Live audio commentary, provided by BBC Radio Derby, is available online ONLY on dcfc.co.uk.
A monthly audio subscription pass is available for £5 per month and purchases can be made by clicking here.
