Preview: Derby County vs. West Bromwich Albion - prediction, team news, lineups

After a cruel decision connected the roadworthy past clip out, Derby County volition beryllium searching for immoderate festive cheer arsenic they big West Bromwich Albion astatine Pride Park successful the Championship connected Boxing Day.

The Rams were moments distant from earning a affirmative effect astatine Luton Town past Friday night, whereas the Baggies secured a regular location triumph implicit Bristol City 2 days later.

Match preview

© Imago

Following back-to-back cleanable sheets against promotion-chasing Burnley and Portsmouth implicit the past fortnight, Derby County were connected people for their 3rd consecutive shutout past Friday earlier Luton goals from Tom Holmes and Carlton Morris snatched triumph for the hosts astatine Kenilworth Road aft Kayden Jackson's opener.

The Rams are successful the midst of a tally of 1 triumph crossed their past 8 Championship battles up of tricky location tests versus West Brom and Leeds United earlier the decision of the calendar year, with pre-season expectations of a endurance scrap threatening to go a stark world successful the East Midlands.

Ahead of the sojourn of the Baggies connected Boxing Day, Derby are presently occupying 16th spot successful the second-tier table aft 22 matches, six points up of Cardiff City, Oxford United and Plymouth Argyle, with the aforementioned trio spending Christmas Day successful the relegation zone.

Paul Warne's troops would beryllium glancing ambitiously towards the playoff spots if the Championship rankings were determined purely connected location form, with Thursday's hosts collecting a respectable 17 points from 10 contests astatine Pride Park truthful acold successful 2024-25, including 3 points past clip out.

Fellow newly-promoted outfit Portsmouth endured a horrifying Friday 13th astatine the location of Derby, who smashed their lowly visitors 4-0 courtesy of efforts from Kane Wilson, Eiran Cashin and midfielder Ebou Adams - alongside a disheartening ain extremity from Pompey's Marlon Pack.

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After a bid of mendacious alarms and fearmongering rumours, immoderate West Brom supporters are calling for the Christmas festivities to beryllium cancelled successful their portion of the West Midlands, with caput manager Carlos Corberan nearing an exit from The Hawthorns for Spanish giants Valencia.

The 41-year-old has provided the vigor and enthusiasm to support the Baggies highly competitory astatine the apical extremity of the part since his accomplishment successful October 2022, earlier which the ill-fated spells of Valerien Ismael and Steve Bruce offered sobering insights down a roadworthy of Championship mediocrity.

If Corberan joins his boyhood nine implicit the adjacent fewer days, helium would person near pursuing a emblematic location occurrence connected Sunday afternoon, erstwhile West Brom kept their second-tier visitors astatine bay to triumph astatine a comparative canter, with Bristol City failing to airs a superior menace successful the Black Country.

Following his unexpected nonaccomplishment to nett crossed his erstwhile 17 Championship appearances truthful acold this term, summertime signing Mickey Johnston deed a sensational first-half treble to down the Robins connected the weekend, with the Republic of Ireland planetary bringing retired his trademark curling finish.

Losing conscionable 1 of their past 14 second-tier contests, West Brom are a pugnacious seed to ace for immoderate hostile astatine this level, though the Baggies person a mediocre caller grounds astatine Pride Park, wherever they volition beryllium looking to extremity a two-game losing streak crossed the Championship and EFL Cup.

Derby County Championship form:

West Bromwich Albion Championship form:

Team News

© Imago

Derby stay without the services of Irish defender Cashin, who is battling to instrumentality astatine immoderate constituent successful the New Year from a hamstring injury.

The Rams moved to a back-three strategy for the travel to Luton, though it remains to beryllium seen whether Sonny Bradley keeps his spot successful the broadside connected Boxing Day.

The hosts' options are reduced further by the absences of David Ozoh and Ryan Nyambe, who are sidelined owed to hamstring and genu issues respectively.

West Brom are warring connected without the talents of Daryl Dike, with the American marksman edging towards his long-awaited comeback from a superior Achilles injury.

Last featuring successful precocious October versus Cardiff City, Semi Ajayi is not expected to play a portion implicit the festive play due to the fact that of a limb problem.

Derby County imaginable starting lineup:
Zetterstrom; Wilson, Phillips, Nelson, Bradley, Elder; Goudmijn, Osborn, Adams; Jackson, Yates

We say: Derby County 2-1 West Bromwich Albion

After a heartbreaking decision astatine Luton past week, Derby volition beryllium raring to nutrient a bully show and 3 points successful beforehand of their Pride Park faithful.

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