Chris Baird will make his first league start since the opening day of the 2016/17 season when Derby County face Brentford this evening, kick-off: 7:45pm.

The 34-year-old defender replaces Max Lowe in the left full back position, which acts as Steve McClaren’s one and only change from the starting XI that defeated Leeds United at the weekend.

Ikechi Anya, though, has passed a late fitness test to retain his position in left wing position at the iPro Stadium after he had been forced off in the early stages of the second half on Saturday.

Ahead of today’s game, it has been confirmed that James Wilson has returned to Manchester United to have a significant knee injury assessed. Updates will be provided in due course.

With that and Baird stepping up, two spaces have been vacated on the substitutes bench, which sees Jamie Hanson and Farrend Rawson come into the matchday 18.

From the back, that sees Scott Carson start in goal, whilst he has a back four of Cyrus Christie, Richard Keogh, Alex Pearce and Baird.

Impressive at the weekend, Bradley Johnson retains his place in the holding midfield role and has Jacob Butterfield and Will Hughes ahead of him.

Anya and Tom Ince take up their positions on the flanks, whilst Matěj Vydra will lead the line for the Rams tonight.

Jonathan Mitchell, Craig Bryson, Johnny Russell, Saturday’s match winner, Darren Bent, Andreas Weimann, Hanson and Rawson all in reserve this evening.

Rams Player HD spoke to Chris Powell, Derby’s assistant manager, to discuss tonight’s team selection as well as the news of Wilson’s knee injury.

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Derby County: Carson, Christie, Keogh (C), Pearce, Baird; Johnson, Butterfield, Hughes; Ince, Anya, Vydra

Substitutes: Mitchell, Bryson, Russell, Bent, Weimann, Hanson, Rawson

Brentford: Bentley, Colin, Bjelland (C), Saunders, Yennaris, Hogan, Egan, Woods, Sawyers, Kaikai, Barbet

Substitutes: Bonham, Macleod, McEachran, Hofmann, Kerschbaumer, Clarke, Onariase

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