A trip to Derby before the first break

A game against Derby used to be something to dread. We won at the old Baseball Ground in February 1953 and didn't win a league game against them, home or away, until 1995.

We never won at the Baseball Ground again, but Pride Park has been somewhat kinder to us. We won on our first two visits there, a cup tie in 1999/2000 and a league game three seasons later. Both those wins were during Stan Ternent's time as manager.

None of the next six visits ended in victories, although the last of them couldn't have come closer with Derby scoring a late equaliser in our third last away game of the promotion season.

Ben Mee, looking to get back into the team after returning from injury

Since, however, Eddie Howe's Burnley have been there three times and won all three, coming from behind twice to win there 4-2 in 2010/11 and then winning 2-1 in each of the last two seasons. The last of them proved to be Howe's last win as Burnley manager.

None of those statistics mean anything tomorrow and the line ups from both clubs will be vastly different from those who played last season as you will see below.

Sean Dyche had stuck with the same eleven players until we got to Brighton last week. He had one enforced change with Ross Wallace ruled out but opted to play both Scott Arfield and Keith Treacy, who had come on as subs and changed the game against Yeovil, with Junior Stanislas relegated to the bench.

Last Tuesday there was one more changed forced on him because of Tom Heaton's red card at Brighton which gave Alex Cisak his first start, but the manager also opted to give ninety minutes to all of Michael Duff, Ben Mee and David Edgar with the first two returning from injury.

That's given him some selection choices for tomorrow's game which Ben Mee has spoken about. Ruled out at the start of the season it meant a first team berth for Danny Lafferty but fit again Mee did well against Preston.

Ahead of the Derby game he said: "I'm feeling good. It was nice to be back playing on the Turf."

He's clearly wanting to settle back in at left back but is appreciative of how well Lafferty has played in his absence, and added: "He's done well but it's my job now to get back into that side and do even better than what he's been doing. He's had a really good start to the season.

"It's nice to have a bit of healthy rivalry and we are both going to do our utmost to try and secure that spot for the next few games and it should be interesting and hopefully a good little contest."

Until those substitutions against Yeovil it was relatively easy to work out what the team might be but that's no longer the case, although Dyche has already all but confirmed that Heaton will return in goal after being forced to sit out the cup tie.

I also expect Dean Marney to return for Edgar although I suspect Duff might well keep his place at the expense of Kevin Long who had a difficult game at Brighton. That leaves left back and I'm going to go for the selection of Mee based on the fact that during last season Dyche was always keen to get him back into the team as soon as possible.

If so, the team will be: Tom Heaton, Kieran Trippier, Michael Duff, Jason Shackell, Ben Mee, Scott Arfield, Dean Marney, David Jones, Keith Treacy, Danny Ings, Sam Vokes. Subs: Alex Cisak, Kevin Long, Danny Lafferty, David Edgar, Brian Stock, Junior Stanislas, Ryan Noble.

Dyche had been hoping to bring in a new signing ahead of the game but it now looks very unlikely. A loan signing tomorrow morning would be eligible to play but I suspect any transfer news, if any, will now come next week.

Derby have started their season, like us, with two wins, a draw and a defeat in the league coupled with a place in the 3rd round of the Capital One Cup.

In the league their two wins have both come away from Pride Park, at Brighton and last week at Yeovil, and at home they drew with Blackburn on the opening weekend and then lost 1-0 to East Midlands rivals Leicester with the goal credited as a Lee Grant own goal.

In the cup they've beaten two League One teams, winning 1-0 at Oldham in the 1st round before a comprehensive 5-0 home win against Brentford this week saw them into the last 32 of the competition and a quick return game against Leicester, but this time away from home.

Nigel Clough has made five signings since the end of last season. The four permanent signings were Lee Grant from Burnley, Chris Martin (Norwich), Johnny Russell (Dundee Utd) and Craig Forsyth (Watford). They have been joined by Tottenham full back Adam Smith on a season long loan.

All but Smith are expected to start tomorrow in a team that is likely to show just one change from that which started at Yeovil last week. That change will see either Paul Coutts or John Eustace replace Jeff Hendrick in midfield. Hendrick has suffered what looks to be a chipped bone in his ankle at Yeovil.

They are likely to line up: Lee Grant, Kieron Freeman, Richard Keogh, Jake Buxton, Craig Forsyth, Craig Bryson, Will Hughes, John Eustace or Paul Coutts, Jamie Ward, Johnny Russell, Chris Martin. Subs: Adam Legzdins, Adam Smith, Michael Jacobs, Ben Davies, Paul Coutts or JohnEustace, Connor Sammon, Mason Bennett.

Last Time We Were There

Burnley's game at Derby in 2011/12 ended with Charlie Austin scoring both goals in a 2-1 win. It was our first win of the season. One season on and our first away win came in the corresponding fixture with Austin again scoring both goals in a 2-1 win.

This, it has to be said, was one of our most fortunate wins of last season. We'd fully deserved the 2011/12 win but this one was very much against the way the game went.

Two more goals for Charlie Austin at Derby

After the 2-1 midweek defeat at Leicester, Eddie Howe dropped Brian Stock, Joseph Mills as well as Cameron Stewart who had offered nothing at Leicester. Ben Mee got his first start of the season at left back and also back was Austin who had missed the Leicester game.

Derby were so much on top at the start. They attacked us at will and it was no surprise when Jamie Ward gave them the lead. Within a couple of minutes they'd missed the chance of the game and we looked to be heading for a hammering.

But with Charlie in the team anything could happen. We got a free kick which Ross Wallace took. it bounced up off a defender to Mee who found Austin. He was unmarked to the right of goal and scored with ease.

That was no surprise, he was in such good goalscoring form and he looked odds on to score every time he got anything like a chance.

We improved after that and carried it into the second half, but then Derby came storming back and the last half hour of the game was just about one way traffic.

We hung on and looked to be heading for a draw when Mee made a terrific run down the left to collect the ball. He found Chris McCann whose chipped the ball to the far post for Austin to gleefully to get between two defenders to head home.

We'd definitely Ram raided them. We'd got out of jail and won it.

The teams were;

Derby: Frank Fielding, John Brayford, Richard Keogh, Jake Buxton, Gareth Roberts, Paul Coutts, Jeff Hendrick, Craig Bryson, Will Hughes (Michael Jacobs 77), Jamie Ward, Conor Sammon (Theo Robinson 80). Subs not used: Adam Legdzdins, James O'Connor, Nathan Tyson, Conor Doyle, Valentin Gjokaj.

Burnley: Lee Grant, Kieran Trippier, David Edgar, Jason Shackell, Ben Mee, Ross Wallace, Dean Marney, Chris McCann, Junior Stanislas (Cameron Stewart 45), Martin Paterson (Sam Vokes 61), Charlie Austin (Marvin Bartley 89). Subs not used: Brian Jensen, Kevin Long, Joseph Mills, Brian Stock.

Previous Games against Derby

Click HERE to see all previous results against Derby