Central defender Curtis Davies is excited for the festive fixtures to kick off as Derby County host West Bromwich Albion on Monday 27th December (3pm kick-off) at Pride Park Stadium.
The Rams’ squad have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in recent weeks. Despite several players missing due to self-isolation, Wayne Rooney’s side still managed to record three points in a 1-0 success against Blackpool earlier this month, courtesy of youngster Luke Plange’s first professional goal on his full debut.
Since then, more players have tested positive in the Rams’ camp, and owing to positive cases in the Cardiff City squad, last weekend’s game against the Bluebirds had to be postponed.
It has meant Derby will have gone more than two weeks without playing a game when they host the high-flying Baggies on Monday in front of the Sky Sports cameras, but the matches will start to come thick and fast as they face Stoke City and Reading either side of the new year.
Davies, who has scored two goals in 22 appearances so far this campaign, knows it has been a tricky period recently in terms of illness – but he is relishing the Christmas period.
“It’s been mad at the moment,” he told RamsTV. “Just when you start to get in the swing of things, we have had a break and lost a few players.
“The Cardiff game got called off and now we go into the Christmas period, where it’s going to be hectic again, so touch wood we all stay healthy and we are able to fulfil those games.
“It’s gone from having a lot of time off to carnage when we start playing the games! I’m looking forward to it. The Christmas games are always brilliant and I’m looking forward to being at Pride Park on Monday.”
He added: “We were probably going to be missing a few players last week for the Cardiff game, even though they were just about to come out of their isolation phase.
“We would be going into the game shorthanded ourselves, but then you hear about Cardiff having cases themselves, you kind of knew it was going to be called off. It’s just one of those things and you have to be ready for that.
“At this moment, we have to be ready to know that it could happen again. All we can do is prepare for each game as they come.
“We are preparing for West Bromwich Albion on Monday and hope that the game is on, but at the moment it is out of our hands.
“A team could have a number of cases on one day and it could be off, so it’s important you get your preparation right, do what you can at home to make sure you’re doing right for your team when the games come around.”
The Rams have already taken a point from Valerien Ismael’s side so far this season as the sides played out a goalless draw at the Hawthorns in September. It was a dogged performance from Derby who were forced to soak up a lot of pressure, but a point was a fair result.
Albion come into the game on the back of a 0-0 draw against strugglers Barnsley last Friday, as they were only one of 12 teams to have completed fixtures last weekend.
Davies, who will come up against his former side on Monday, knows their strengths as a team and admits the Rams need to be wary of their opponents, but says there is nothing to fear going into the fixture.
“Their manager is stubborn in the way he wants to play,” he explained. “He came from Barnsley and when he was there, we all thought he was working with the strengths of the players he had but he has gone to a West Brom team that is a strong outfit and he has adapted the same style, which has got them results so far this season.
“They have just dropped down to fourth now with Blackburn’s recent form but they are still there or there abouts and are maybe four or five points off the top and that’s only because they’ve been in some sticky form themselves.
“Luckily for them, above them, Bournemouth and Fulham have slipped up too and it’s given them a chance. For us, it’s about battling for second balls and showing quality when we get the opportunities.
“West Brom, if they do play that way, they have got a lot of quality throughout their team with the likes of Diangana, Robinson, Grant and they have got quality if the ball is on the floor then they are able to use it so we need to be prepared for whatever team is put out first and foremost, but also if they change the way they do things.”
And whilst some have advocated for a winter break over the years, Davies feels there are traditions in English football which should be kept.
“I’m biased, I’m English and I’m used to this,” he smiled. “You hear a lot of the foreign managers talking about playing on the 26th and 28th and complaining about it but for me it’s always been the same.
“If you have been in this country long enough, you know that is the way it goes and you can’t complain about it.
“People have always called for a winter break but for me Christmas is the best part of football.
“All the people that bring their kids or their grandkids to their first games at Christmas would say the same and it’s a big tradition in this country. I like being part of it.”