Derby County Under-23s return to Premier League Cup action on Saturday afternoon when they take on Middlesbrough at St. George’s Park as they look to book their place in the Quarter Finals (12:30pm kick-off).
It’s the first knock-out game of the competition for the Rams after Pat Lyons' side finished top of Group H in the initial round with home and away fixtures against Wolverhampton Wanderers, Birmingham City and Leeds United.
Out of the six games, Derby recorded four wins and two defeats, with convincing 7-1 and 5-1 victories against Leeds and Birmingham.
Boro finished second in their group behind Blackburn Rovers ahead of Burnley and Crystal Palace with three wins, two draws and a defeat.
Derby reached the Quarter Final stage in last season’s competition where they were knocked out by eventual finalists Newcastle United.
In Saturday’s game, they will be looking to bounce back from a 4-1 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion in their last time out, which came in the Premier League 2 - Division 1 last Friday.
Follow Derby County Academy’s official Twitter page @DCFCAcadmey for live updates throughout the game and visit dcfc.co.uk following the game for post-match reactions and highlights.