Derby County will make the short trip down the A50 to the Potteries on Saturday for their Sky Bet Championship meeting with Stoke City at the bet365 Stadium (12:30pm kick-off).
The Rams have four wins and a draw from six games in the league at Pride Park Stadium so far this season and are gradually growing their form away from home after earning two 1-1 draws against Millwall and Oxford United last month.
They come into Saturday’s clash off the back of another hard-fought 1-1 draw a week ago against Hull City at Pride Park Stadium - which cemented their 12th place position in the league.
Stoke enter the clash sitting 19th in the Championship with Spaniard Narcís Pelach at the helm. The former Norwich City Assistant Coach joined the Potters from the Canaries to take on his first Head Coach role earlier this season.
Pelach has been on the sidelines for eight games. He oversaw an impressive 6-1 home win over Portsmouth to net his first win in charge, as well as three draws and four losses.
Team News
Paul Warne should have the pick of the majority of his squad ready for selection in the Potteries with right-sider Joe Ward back in training after a minor hamstring issue which forced him to miss last Saturday's 1-1 draw at home to Hull City.
Dajaune Brown netted his first Derby goal to earn the side a point against Hull last weekend. The young striker will be available for selection despite departing the field against the Tigers following his goal with an ankle knock.
Right-back Ryan Nyambe remains sidelined with a knee injury he sustained a fortnight ago against Millwall and will be out of action until 2025.
On-loan midfielder David Ozoh is recuperating after sustaining a quad injury following his recovery from a hamstring injury picked up against Cardiff City in September, while on-loan Wolves winger Tawanda Chirewa is also out of action with a thigh problem.
Ticket Information
Derby's allocation of tickets for Saturday’s match at the bet365 Stadium has sold out.
Those fans without a ticket are advised not to make the trip to Stoke, as they will be unable to gain access to the stadium.
Ticket collections for away supporters can be made at turnstile 42.
Matchday Travel & Information
The away end at the bet365 Stadium has been relocated since the Rams' last visit to the Potteries in 2021. It is now in the South East Corner of the ground.
The entrance for away supporters is located opposite the Toyota garage on Stanley Matthews Way. A chicane system will be in place to direct supporters towards the turnstiles.
A full guide for away supporters can be found here.
The away turnstiles, concourse, catering units and bars will
be open from 10:30am ahead of the 12:30pm kick-off.
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Please Note: Supporters are advised to make good time for travel to this fixture and reminded that the train network between Derby and Stoke-on-Trent will be running at limited capacity.
Pre-Match Thoughts
Head Coach Paul Warne caught up with RamsTV ahead of his side's Championship clash at in the Potteries.
Defender Curtis Nelson spoke with RamsTV before playing against his boyhood club to discuss the importance of set pieces, his headed goal against Queens Park Rangers last month and always wanting to push on.
Match Officials
Josh Smith will referee the Championship fixture. It will be his second time holding the whistle for a Rams game after overseeing the opening day clash with Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park.
He has overseen seven Championship games so far this term, handing out 35 yellow cards and one red card in that time.
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 Video Live Streaming, and other services, for this game, can be found at dcfc.co.uk.
Highlights & Match Replay
Full match reaction will be available on dcfc.co.uk and the Derby County App shortly after full time, with highlights and a full match replay available from 12am the day following the fixture.