3/1 To Win
Russell Slade feels his Grimsby Town side could not have been handed a much tougher task in the Carabao Cup First Round than a match up with Derby County.
The Rams travel to Blundell Park to face the Mariners at this stage of the competition for the second successive season, kick-off: 7:45pm.
Last year, Derby edged a tight meeting at Pride Park Stadium to run out 1-0 winners thanks to Richard Keogh’s second half header.
Ahead of the latest meeting, Slade, who has been in charge of Grimsby since April, is looking forward to pitting his wits against what he has described as a ‘wonderful group of players’.
The Mariners head into the meeting buoyed by their 3-1 victory over Chesterfield at the Proact Stadium on the opening weekend of the 2017/18 EFL season.
Slade told the media: “It’s going to be a tough, tough, game – it couldn’t be much tougher. In fact, the first week really, on paper, is a very tough week and they’ve got a very strong group.
“He (Gary Rowett) has got such a wonderful group of players around him so he has lots of options – I’m sure he’ll use them.
“I looked at the players that he had on the bench, and players that he could possibly bring in, and I don’t know whether I want him to stick to the same team as Friday or change really.”
Slade will find himself in the same boat as his opposite number, Gary Rowett, this evening.
The Derby boss confirmed that he is likely to make changes to his squad and Grimsby will also be freshening up their starting XI.
One of those will be enforced after Zak Mills was shown a red card in the win at Chesterfield, whilst Sam Kelly is a doubt too.
Slade said: “We suffered an injury to Sam Kelly and we had to bring him off in the game. It’s a dead leg and whilst it is improving, he is very, very, doubtful for the Derby game.”
Their absences, however, have opened the door up for a former Ram to return to the starting line-up to face his former club.
Ben Davies, who played for Derby for three years before departing in 2014, came off the substitutes bench to score from the penalty spot in the win at the Proact Stadium.
Slade has confirmed that the 36-year-old will start against Derby – meaning he will face his former employers for the third successive year in the Carabao Cup, having played in last year’s match for the Mariners and for Portsmouth the year before that.
“Ben has had a great pre-season anyway and is always close to my thoughts when comes to team selection in any case,” Slade said on Davies.
“He’s quite versatile in what he can do and he will be making a start.”
