Derby County will be up against Premier League outfit West Bromwich Albion in the third round of the FA Cup. The Rams have been in pretty decent form this season but had a disappointing outing against Norwich City at Carrow Road on Monday. Their 10-game unbeaten streak came to an end as the Rams lost 3-0 at the hands of the Canaries.
West Brom are looking like a completely different side this season. Tony Pulis seems have completely transformed his style of management after continuous criticism about his direct and hoof-ball game. The Baggies are enjoying their attacking game and should find joy against the Rams. Derby County are a pretty good team when it comes to defending and we can expect a cracker of a game.
The two teams have faced each other 15 times till date and it has been a close contest. West Brom have won 6 times while Derby have won 4. Five games have ended in stalemates. We expect Derby to play their best possible XI in this game to get into the next round.
Here is the predicted Derby County lineup vs West Bromwich Albion.
Defence
Experienced custodian Scott Carson will keep his place under the bar. The 31-year-old has kept 15 clean sheets in 27 games this season and has conceded just 19 times. He will be looking to come up with a convincing display against the Baggies. Experienced and versatile defender Chris Baird will start at right-back. We expect Alex Pearce and Richard Keogh to start at the heart of the defence.
All the regular left-backs at Pride Park are currently out with injuries and Ikechi Anya, who can fill in that role, also went down to an injury against Norwich City. We expect youngster Jamie Hanson to start at left-back.
Midfield
Bradley Johnson has been impressive this season in a defensive midfield role and is likely to keep his place against West Brom. Will Hughes is likely to start in midfield after sitting on the bench against Norwich. Jacob Butterfield is missing with a red-card suspension which means Craig Bryson will keep his place in the middle of the park. Butterfield is the prime playmaker for the Rams and replacing him is not a straight-forward task at all.
Attack
Tom Ince has been excellent attacking wise this season and will be keen to do the damage to West Brom from the right flank. Johnny Russell should keep his place on the left. Darren Bent will keep his place up front and will be keen to impress.
