Derby County vs Blackpool: Team News, Match Preview & Likely Line-Ups
Date: Saturday, 7 December 2013 Kick-off: 12:15 GMT Venue: Pride Park, Derby
Derby County host fellow promotion chasers Blackpool in Saturday's lunchtime offering from the Championship with the two teams locked together on 31 points.
Rams head coach Steve McClaren has won six of the eight games and four in a row since he succeeded Nigel Clough in the Pride Park dugout.
That fine form was recognized when on loan fullback Andre Wisdom received a nomination for the SkyBet player of the month for November, but missed out on the award to Leeds United striker Ross McCormack.
Seasiders boss Paul Ince meanwhile will have to make changes as three players picked up suspensions in their last outing.
Derby have won their last two home meetings with Blackpool, but Seasiders star man and manager's son Tom Ince has scored for the visitors on both those occasions.
Team News
County are likely to have an unchanged matchday squad from their midweek home win over Middlesbrough. McClaren may thus name the same XI, although Republic of Ireland striker Conor Sammon came off the bench to score a late winner on Wednesday.
Ince meanwhile must select a new centre back pairing as both Kirk Broadfoot and Gary MacKenzie saw red in the defeat at Yeovil. The Blackpool boss will also have to choose from Michael Chopra, Steve Davies or Bobby Grant up front as Ricardo Fuller was also sent off.
Northern Ireland's Craig Cathcart may be thrown straight back into defence after six games out injured. Ince also has to select either Jack Robinson, on loan from Liverpool, or Tyler Blackett, who has extended his stay with the Seasiders from Manchester United until January, at left back.
Likely Line-Ups
Derby County: 1 Lee Grant, 33 Andre Wisdom, 6 Richard Keogh, 25 Jake Buxton, 3 Craig Forsyth, 4 Craig Bryson, 14 John Eustace, 19 Will Hughes, 32 Simon Dawkins/18 Conor Sammon, 9 Chris Martin, 10 Jamie Ward 4-3-3 or 4-4-2
Blackpool: 1 Matt Gilks, 2 Bradley Orr, 17 Chris Basham, 20 Craig Cathcart, 3 Jack Robinson/25 Tyler Blackett, 18 Isaiah Osbourne, 4 Dan Gosling, 12 Neal Bishop, 15 Stephen Dobbie, 8 Michael Chopra/9 Steve Davies, 11 Tom Ince 4-3-3