Pre-Match Thoughts: Warne Previews Midweek Reading Test

Head Coach Paul Warne knows his Derby County side will have to be at their very best to get a result against Reading when they return to Sky Bet League One action on Tuesday evening (7:45pm kick-off).

The Rams lost the reverse fixture 1-0 back in January at the Select Car Leasing Stadium and Warne believes that was a perfect indication of what can happen when his side aren't on their game.

Speaking to RamsTV ahead of Tuesday evening, the Head Coach previewed the return to Pride Park Stadium following the weekend's 3-0 success at Bristol Rovers.

On the form of Nathaniel Mendez-Laing this season...

He doesn't take much motivation. He wants to do well and he gets frustrated when things don't go well. As a player, he's easy to manage when things are going his way and when things aren't going his way, he gets frustrated. I'm not saying he's hard to manage because he isn't, but in the moment he gets himself in a state - but all the top players do! I think his performances this year have been pretty phenomenal and there have been times where I've said to the lads: 'if anything happens to Nat, we're in trouble.' I think his performances this year have been brilliant and what he's surprised me with is that he just seems fitter. To play for me isn't easy and to get the amount of minutes he has is testament to him.

On Dajaune Brown doing well during his loan spell with Gateshead...

The loan spell has been good for him so far. He scored a hat-trick at the weekend and I've been speaking to them about his performances. You need young players to go out and play. You need them to feel the disappointment of not playing and the need to get a win. You need them to play at a harder physical level than what he was playing at. He's potentially got a really good future in the game and it will leave him in really good stead. Dajaune will come back to us in the summer and we'll re-evaluate him. I'm really pleased for him and hopefully he continues to play at Gateshead.

On facing Reading on Tuesday night...

Their team, on paper, is as good as any other team in this league. When we played at their place in January, it wasn't a great night for us. I remember the game mainly for poor Tyreece John-Jules getting injured, so it was just a sad night for us. It was a good indication of this league, or any league in sport, that if you're not at the best and the opposition are playing well then you are going to lose. I don't regard Reading being the opposition any harder than facing Bolton or Portsmouth. I just think, if we're at our very best, then we are hard to beat. It's about us trying to get ourselves into that mindset. Hopefully Pride Park will be bouncing and we can get another three points. I fully respect what Readaing are doing, they are the best pressing team in the league, which cannot be underestimated. They've got goals throughout their team and they are a real threat, so we are well aware of how good they could be.

On the squad health ahead of two more games this week...

We've got the same squad as the weekend, but Callum Elder and Craig Forsyth are back in now and that is good. It may come a little soon for Tyrese Fornah, though, as he's a little stiff in the back.