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Dean Moxey is banned and fellow left-back Gareth Roberts (calf) is a doubt.
MATCH PREVIEW
Darren Ferguson paid the price for a miserable 2010 for Preston, who begin the new year looking for a new manager and a way of avoiding the relegation that many of their fans fear now looks inevitable.
David Unsworth, who has taken caretaker charge in the wake of Ferguson's dismissal, has the task of restoring confidence to a side that are bottom of the table, has won only one of their last nine matches, and has conceded more Championship goals this season than any other team.
And history is against North End. The club entering the new year bottom of the second tier has finished the campaign there in each of the last three seasons, and has been relegated in every season since 2001. Crewe were the last side to start a calendar year at the foot of the table and avoid the drop.
Derby are also enduring a miserable time, albeit while nestled in the top half. The Rams have slumped to five consecutive defeats, the last of which was a 5-2 thrashing at the hands of arch rivals Nottingham Forest.
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
• Derby have won the last two matches between these clubs, scoring eight goals in the process.
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• A win for Preston would be the club's 50th against Derby, and a goal would be their 100th in the league at home against them.
Preston
• Preston have conceded 42 goals in 22 Championship matches this season - an average of 1.91 goals per game.
• They have dropped 21 points from winning positions - more than any other team in the division.
Derby
• Derby have lost their last four away matches.
• This is the club's longest losing league run since ending the disastrous 2007/2008 Premier League campaign with six successive defeats.
• County have lost their first match of the calendar year in each of the last three seasons.
• Paul Green is set to make his 100th appearance for the club...
Source: BBC Sport
Source: BBC Sport