Derby County will be looking to collect their first points on the road in the 2024/25 Sky Bet Championship season when they head to high-flying Sunderland on Tuesday night (7:45pm kick-off).
Paul Warne’s side come into the tie on Wearside after a narrow 3-2 defeat against Norwich City saw them drop points for the first time at Pride Park Stadium this term.
Despite their strong home form, the Rams have yet to get off the mark on the road after three tough away games at Blackburn Rovers, Watford and Sheffield United - three teams sitting in the top seven of the Championship table.
Sunderland are another team sure to provide a tough test as they sit second in the standings under manager Régis Le Bris, who joined the Black Cats from French Ligue 1 side Lorient over the summer.
They enter the clash with the Rams wanting to cement their spot at the top of the table after a 2-1 defeat against Watford on Saturday handed the Wearside outfit their second loss of the league campaign.
Team News
Winger Corey Blackett-Taylor made a goalscoring return from a quad injury sustained in pre-season when he netted his first Derby goal in the narrow defeat to Norwich and is pushing to start for the first time this term.
Defender Jake Rooney is building up his sharpness and has returned to training with the squad following a knee injury suffered early in pre-season.
Left-back Callum Elder (groin) is not expected to make a return to the quad until after the upcoming international break having sustained the injury during the Rams’ last away game against Sheffield United.
Midfielder David Ozoh (hamstring), attacker Tom Barkhuizen (calf) and midfielder Liam Thompson (quad) are also unavailable until after the international fixture period as they continue their rehabilitation.
Ticket Information
Tickets for the Rams' trip to the North East have now been taken off sale.
Those fans without a ticket are advised not to make the trip to Sunderland, as they will be unable to gain access to the stadium.
Concessions
Proof of age may be required on entry for any concessionary tickets.
Collections
Collections are not available from away stadiums.
Refund Policy
Match ticket refunds are not available for this game from Derby County.
Pre-Match Thoughts
Assistant Head Coach Richie Barker caught up with RamsTV on Monday ahead of the away fixture.
Ebou Adams also spoke with RamsTV ahead of training on Monday about going into the game at the Stadium of Light with confidence.
Match Officials
Dean Whitestone will referee the Sky Bet Championship fixture under the lights. He last took charge of a Rams game in a goalless draw in League One against Sheffield Wednesday in December 2022 at Pride Park Stadium.
He will officiate alongside Assistant Referees Daniel Leach and Paul Hodskinson with Thomas Parsons taking up the role of Fourth Official.
RamsTV Coverage
Live audio commentary for all of Derby County’s first team matches in the 2024/25 season - both league and cup fixtures - is available to RamsTV Audio subscribers based both in the UK and Internationally.
Information about RamsTV's Video Live Streaming, and other services, for this game, can be found here.
Highlights & Match Replay
Match Highlights will be made available to view on dcfc.co.uk from 12am the day following the fixture.