There are fears that the Rams might be without ace striker Paul Peschisolido for the first Saturday home game of the new campaign.
The Canadian international is needed by his country for a match on August 18 for a World Cup qualifier against Guatemala.
International call-up rules allow the countries to claim rights on their players five days before the match which would rule the Derby forward out of the Ipswich tie the previous Saturday.
It is not a hard and fast rule and with George Burley’s ex Ipswich mate Frank Yallop running the Canadian side there is every hope that an arrangement can be reached whereby Peschisolido plays for the Rams then flies out immediately afterwards.