Victories so far this season have been hard to come by for the Rams and with that in mind Nigel Pearson is expected to field a strong side for tonight's EFL Cup clash with Carlisle.
The League 2 outfit are not to be underestimated say's Pearson, who started his managerial career with Carlisle and is expecting a tough game. Football is all about confidence and Derby so far this season have only come away with a win at Preston.
With a win in mind Pearson is expected to make a few changes to the starting eleven and will look to rest some of the players who have competed in most games this season and those who have accrued yellow cards.
Derby's main problem this season is scoring goals, indeed the Rams top scorer in the league is defender Craig Forsyth, who is now sadly sidelined after rupturing his knee ligaments. The Rams have loaned striker James Wilson for the rest of the season, but for reasons as yet not clear he is unlikely to feature in the EFL Cup match.