3/1 To Win
Derby County will start 2022 with a trip to Reading on Bank Holiday Monday in the Sky Bet Championship.
dcfc.co.uk has gathered all the information you need to know ahead of the game (3pm kick-off).
LIVE STREAM…
Derby County supporters are advised that the game, which is classed as a Bank Holiday fixture over Christmas, is NOT available to watch on RamsTV in the UK & Ireland.
The match is ONLY available for those based in Dark Markets overseas after being selected for live coverage by Sky Sports.
Full details relating to RamsTV can be found here.
TICKET NEWS…
Tickets for the game are now OFF SALE.
Seats went off sale online before Christmas, while they went off sale in person from the Ticket Office at 3pm on Friday 31st December.
Reading have confirmed that on the day sales will NOT be available, so those without a ticket are advised not to make the journey to the stadium.
PLAN B PROTOCOLS & COVID-19 CERTIFICATION...
Reading have issued guidance for supporters to access the Select Car Leasing Stadium under the new measures recently introduced by the UK Government to minimise the risk of further transmission of COVID-19.
TEAM NEWS…
Midfielder Graeme Shinnie is set to miss out once again after manager Wayne Rooney confirmed following Derby’s 1-0 win at Stoke City on Thursday that he has been suffering from COVID-19 and will be given time to recover.
Striker Colin Kazim-Richards has come off the bench to score in Derby’s last two matches, against West Bromwich Albion and Stoke City, and is pushing to start in attack.
Ravel Morrison, Richard Stearman, Sam Baldock and Festy Ebosele, all who have started in recent matches, are also knocking on the door to come into Rooney’s starting line-up after being on the bench at Stoke.
Defender Lee Buchanan will miss out once more after picking up a knee injury in last month's home win over AFC Bournemouth, which is due to keep him out until January.
Polish international midfielder Krystian Bielik, who suffered an ACL knee injury in January 2021, is making good progress in his rehabilitation work but is still not yet in a position to return to full training - although he is working on the grass and edging towards a comeback.
MANAGER'S THOUGHTS…
Manager Wayne Rooney offered his pre-match views to RamsTV after Thursday night's game at Stoke City and he said: “We have to just keep taking each game as it comes.
“The last three matches have been brilliant for us, picking up nine points.
“It gives everyone belief, hope and all we have to do is keep working.
“We have another very tough and important fixture at Reading on Monday and we will prepare right for it and make sure we are ready.”
FROM THE DRESSING ROOM…
Midfielder Liam Thompson spoke to RamsTV following Thursday night's away fixture at Stoke City.
He said: “The character in the squad is massive. I think we’ve got bundles of it throughout the squad and the gaffer always says that we’re a team.
“It’s not just the starting line-up, it’s about everyone involved. Even the lads that came on against Stoke, Colin Kazim-Richards, Festy Ebosele and Ravel Morrison, ultimately changed the game and that’s what the gaffer said beforehand; we needed to all be together.
“The character is massive and we showed that on Thursday night at Stoke. The gaffer always reminds us that there are going to be players that are disappointed not to be starting or not in the squad but it’s not about them, it’s about the team.
“He’s driven that throughout the season and the win against Stoke shows that specifically.”
MATCH OFFICIALS…
John Busby will oversee Monday afternoon's game against the Royals.
Busby has overseen 20 games so far this season in all competitions, showing 81 yellow cards and three red cards.
His
last Derby match was the 1-0 home win over Reading earlier this season
with defender Craig Forsyth the matchwinner for Wayne Rooney's side.
Busby will be assisted by Graham Kane and Adam Crysell on the lines, whilst Keith Stroud has been appointed as the fourth official.
EFL SUBSTITUTE RULES…
The five substitutions rule has been scrapped for the 2021/22 season, the English Football League confirmed in July.
The rule allowing clubs to make five changes, as opposed to the usual three, was brought in following football's restart in June 2020 after a break due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Given that games had to be condensed into a short period of time it was thought beneficial and allowed managers to make as many as five changes in three intervals during a match.
Clubs had a longer post-break between seasons this time around and so the temporary rule has been changed.
Teams will be able to name seven substitutes but only use a maximum of three.
STREAMING INFORMATION…
With
COVID-19 capacity restrictions lifted and EFL fixtures being played in
front of full crowds once again, the temporary change in streaming rules
is no longer valid.
If you can't make the game in person, other options to catch up with the action on the pitch – including live TV, live radio, streaming of selected matches alongside highlights on TV and online of every Sky Bet EFL game.
LIVE TV (DOMESTIC)
In the UK, Sky Sports will show 138 Sky Bet EFL matches, 15 Carabao Cup ties and the Semi Finals and Final of the Papa John’s Trophy.
In the case of Weekend Fixtures, the EFL’s designated kick-off times* for Sky Live Matches are usually scheduled as follows:
* Friday evenings at 7:45pm or 8pm
* Saturdays at 12:30pm; Sundays at 12-noon
Within the Sky contract there are other kick-off times that are available to the broadcaster
In the case of scheduled Midweek Matches, live Sky fixtures will be between 7:30pm and 8pm on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
RADIO
TalkSPORT offer exclusive live commentaries on national radio across the Sky Bet EFL as well as non-exclusive rights to the Carabao Cup that are shared by the BBC.Both TalkSPORT and the BBC have the ability to broadcast score flash updates across all competitions.BBC Local Radio also have individual commentary deals with selected EFL clubs.
LIVE TV (INTERNATIONAL)
Any match shown live on Sky Sports in the UK is made available overseas via the League’s international broadcast partners.As well as this fixture, a minimum of 36 Championship fixtures taking place on Saturdays at 3pm, will be distributed for international coverage, alongside selected League One and Two fixtures, Carabao Cup ties, and action from across the Sky Bet Play-Offs.
A full list of the EFL’s international broadcast partners are available here:efl.com/iFollow/international-broadcasters/
HIGHLIGHTS
In the UK, Quest will continue to be the home for all highlights of matches in the Sky Bet EFL, Carabao Cup and Papa John’s Trophy, with action from a full weekend schedule of matches broadcast at 9pm on Saturdays, and midweek League highlights and Carabao Cup midweek highlights also screened on applicable weeknights. Internationally, a number of the EFL’s broadcast partners show repeat transmissions and highlights.
STREAMING
In respect of domestic streaming, the EFL will return to the position as was prior to the pandemic when the live broadcast or streaming of any match in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is prohibited between the hours of 2:45pm-5:15pm on Saturday afternoons.
EFL clubs will have the right to live-stream midweek matches on iFollow or Club equivalent service, with Sky Sports also able to stream the same Championship fixtures to subscribers across their Red Button interactive and digital services.
The position in each Sky Bet EFL division is as follows:
CHAMPIONSHIP - DOMESTIC
* All scheduled midweek matches (unless selected as one of Sky Sports Exclusive midweek selections)
* Displaced weekend matches – matches which are moved from Saturday 3pm kick-offs for non-TV purposes (at the discretion of the Home club)
* Bank Holiday matches over Christmas and Easter (at the discretion of the Home club)
CHAMPIONSHIP - INTERNATIONAL
Overseas supporters can watch live all EFL Championship league games provided that they have not been selected for international television broadcast in a territory that has an overseas broadcast partner
