The Rams’ Under-23s play their final Premier League 2 Division 1 game of 2017 against the same opposition they began the calendar year with when they take on Arsenal on Friday evening.
Darren Wassall’s men head to Boreham Wood to take on the Gunners looking to maintain their impressive momentum, kick-off: 7pm and ahead of the meeting, dcfc.co.uk has pulled together all the information you are going to need to know ahead of kick-off…
WHAT’S THE LATEST TEAM NEWS
There is a doubt over whether Callum Guy will start for the Rams’ Under-23s ahead of the trip to Arsenal.
The 21-year-old midfielder has been struggling with illness all week, but returned to training on Thursday ahead of the trip to the Capital.
That aside, Darren Wassall will have a strong-looking squad to call upon.
As well as Jamie Hanson and Max Lowe, it looks as though the club’s academy director will be able to call upon the likes of Jason Shackell, Ikechi Anya and Mason Bennett for the meeting with the Gunners.
Kyle McAllister continues to be ruled out of action.
SETTING THE SCENE
Friday’s meeting with Arsenal will be the Rams’ final league game of the calendar year and they will be aiming to end a memorable year on that front on a high.
After avoiding relegation following a terrific turnaround in their form during the second half of their first season at Premier League 2 Division 1 level, Derby’s Under-23s have kicked on and are enjoying a solid campaign this time around.
Assessing the squad’s improvement, Craig Short told us that he feels the group have ‘gone up a level from last year’ and no longer fear coming up against the country’s biggest clubs.
The club’s academy coach also revealed that Arsenal are the best team that Derby have faced this season.
The Rams fell to a 3-2 defeat at St George’s Park – despite at one point leading 2-0 – but Short says the squad has come on leaps and bounds in terms of confidence and is looking to see that showcased against the Gunners.
He told RamsTV: “We’ve gone up a level from last year, at that point the players were probably a little bit in awe when they came up against the big names.
“Arsenal are probably the best team that we’ve played against, and despite the result last time out [a 3-2 defeat] we were very pleased with the performance level in that game.
“It’s been a great week so far, and hopefully we can cap it off.”
He added: “Sometimes, you watch Under-23s games and you see some nice football, but there isn’t that physicality about it.
“We played Leicester and Everton who were both really tough and physical, and those sides are probably a little bit ahead but our players are now understanding what it takes to go to that next level and play senior football.”
Read Craig Short’s and Jamie Hanson’s full pre-match interviews now on dcfc.co.uk.
HOW CAN I ATTEND?
Arsenal Under-23s play home games at Boreham Wood FC’s Meadow Park. Supporters are welcome to attend these fixtures and admittance is free.
WHAT HAPPENED LAST TIME?
DERBY COUNTY U23s 2-3 ARSENAL U23s
Friday 18th August, 2017
Derby County’s Under-23s opened up their 2017/18 Premier League 2 Division 1 season with a 3-2 defeat to Arsenal in what turned out to be a story of the art of clinical finishing.
Darren Wassall’s side led the Gunners 2-0 at St George’s Park after an hour, thanks to strikes from Kellan Gordon and Emil Riis Jakobsen before the visitors, with the likes of Jack Wilshere, Francis Coquelin and Kieran Gibbs starring. roared back to claim all the spoils.
Reiss Nelson struck twice for the Gunners and after Luke Thomas had smacked the crossbar, Eddie Nketiah struck the winner.
Derby County U23s: Barnes, Stabana, Cover, Wassall, Macdonald; Gordon (Thomas, 46), Elsnik, Bird (Karic, 41), Babos; Jakobsen, Zanzala
Substitutes not used: Ravas, Bateman, Walker
Arsenal U23s: Huddart, Nelson, Gibbs (Pleguezuelo, 46), Maitland-Niles, Bielik (C), Bramall, Reine-Adelaide, Coquelin (Da Silva, 74), Nketiah, Wilshere (McGuane, 74), Willock
Substitutes not used: Keto, Malen