Manager Phillip Cocu has called on his side to focus ahead of the Carabao Cup clash against Sky Bet League Two side Scunthorpe United on Tuesday.
The Rams face lower-league opposition in the First Round of the competition as they travel to Glanford Park to face the Iron tomorrow evening.
The Iron have it tough so far this season, losing their opening two games of the season, however, the manager is keen for his Rams side to focus, remain professional and get a positive result.
“This is always the danger of cup games; you cannot go into any game thinking ‘we will beat them, it will be an easy game’,” he told RamsTV.
“You always need to be respectful of your opponents but on the other hand you need to be confident in your own game.
“If we approach the game very seriously and play the game how we can then of course we have a chance to win the game. It will for sure not be an easy game.
“For them it is a possibility to get out of a negative start to the season and they will want to give a good performance against us in their home ground. We cannot take it easy.”
Cocu is accustomed to cup fixtures. He’s won Holland’s KNVB Cup twice in his career, once as a player and once as a coach.
Despite it being away from the league, he revealed that preparations for this game will be exactly the same as it has been for recent Championship fixtures.
“If you play in a big team you always want to win,” he said. “If it is a league game or a cup game, it doesn’t matter.
“If you give a good performance and 100 percent that is what you like to see in cup games and league games.”