Team news for Derby

Last updated : 06 September 2002 By Tony Scholes
Ian Moore could play as a lone striker
Both strikers from last week, Gareth Taylor and Dimitri Papadopoulos, will be out of the side having wandered off to represent their countries and for a while it looked as though Stan would have no alternative but to add one of the young professionals to the squad just to make up the numbers.

He has though, with the signing of Marlon Beresford, got his numbers back up to sixteen and it now looks as though we will have a goalkeeper on the bench. Quite who that will be is unclear particularly since Stan singled out Nik Michopoulos for special praise last week. However I do have an inkling that Nik might be taking the place on the bench.

Arthur Gnohere is available again after serving his three match suspension and I wouldn't be surprised to see him back in the starting eleven either in a 4-5-2 or a 5-3-1 formation as I suspect we will play with just one striker and that will probably be Ian Moore.

With that in mind the starting line up could be: Marlon Beresford, Dean West, Mark McGregor, Ian Cox, Arthur Gnohere, Glen Little, Paul Weller, Tony Grant, Lee Briscoe, Lenny Johnrose, Ian Moore.

The subs would then be: Nik Michopoulos, Graham Branch, Robbie Blake, Andy Payton.

Derby are also without two players on international duty with both Mart Poom and Giorgi Kinkladze away and that will mean a game for former Burnley goalkeeper Andy Oakes who ended his Burnley career with a winners medal in the Lancashire FA Youth Cup at Manchester City in 1995. We won the game 1-0 with a goal from Phil Eastwood.

There are also injuries for Derby to contend with and Frabrizio Ravanelli remains a doubt whilst they are also without longer term injuries in Craig Burley, Steve Elliott, Simo Valakari and Luciano Zavagno.

Whether Derby will select Danny Higginbotham or not remains to be seen after he handed in his notice but the Derby players have at least finally been paid today for August.

For more on Derby County, a look back at a former player from both clubs and two memorable cup days check out the MATCH PREVIEW