Derb County boss Phillip Cocu is looking forward to his first involvement in the Emirates FA Cup this weekend.
Derby will make the trip south to London to take on Premier League side Crystal Palace in the Third Round of the competition on Sunday after (2:01pm kick-off).
The Dutchman, who was appointed as the Rams’ boss last summer, has praised the history and tradition of the competition.
Regarded by many as the best cup competition in the World and Cocu says he has great admiration for the tradition of the FA Cup.
Cocu says taking on Roy Hodgson’s side, who are ninth in the Premier League table, will be a good experience for his side.
With a place in the Fourth Round of the competition up for grabs, Cocu has stressed his side are up for the challenge.
Speaking to RamsTV, Cocu said: “I’m looking forward to the game and I used to watch, on many occasions, the FA Cup on the television.
“There is a tradition in the competition, which I like, and there’s a lot of history in the FA Cup. I am happy to be part of it now.
“It is a great tournament and a great cup. We are facing a Premier League club in an away game, which is difficult, but we have nothing to lose and we will fight for the best result we can get.
“I am sure it will be a good experience for our team.”
He added: “If you look at Palace’s team and the players they have, and playing at home, it will be a challenge. We will try to move on to the next round and we won’t play to go home empty handed.”
Cocu’s squad has been stretched in recent weeks due to injury and suspension.
However, Tom Lawrence is available again after a two-match ban and midfielder Tom Huddlestone could possibly be involved after a lengthy spell out with a hamstring injury.
Cocu used the Carabao Cup earlier in the campaign to utilise his squad and will contemplate shuffling his pack, particularly after a gruelling three-game week over the festive period.
He said: “We have injuries at the moment so we will have to see about changes.
“We made changes and gave some of our younger players a chance in the Carabao Cup earlier in the season, but some of those are in the team now so the situation is different.
“I don’t think we have a lot of numbers, but we do have some players back from injury and suspension, so that could be an option for us to bring them back.”