Derby County will be hoping for their 2nd league win of the season when they host 17th-placed Bolton Wanderers on Friday night.
Derby County, who have been winless since the start of September, will be eager to get their season back on track when they welcome Bolton Wanderers to the Pride Park Stadium on Friday. While the home team have been struggling to accumulate points, the visitors are heading into this one on the back of a win.
Derby are 23rd on the table with just seven points in their 14 outings. Their only win of the campaign came against Portsmouth away from home on September 1. Since then, they have drawn three and lost seven out of their last 10 league outings.
After an eighth-placed finish last time out, they were hoping to mount a serious challenge for promotion. However, as things stand, they might have to fight for survival in the English 2nd division. They suffered a 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Norwich last time out, and given their current form, they will be underdogs here.
Meanwhile, Bolton are 17th on the table with 17 points in their 14 outings. They have won five, drawn two and lost seven games so far. They might be languishing towards the bottom half of the table, but a few positive results can completely turn things around for them.
They are already 10 points clear of the drop zone, which is a big achievement given this is their first season back in the 2nd division since 2018-19. They are heading into this fixture on the back of a 1-0 win over Charlton and will look to build on that.
The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Team News & Tactics
Derby County
The home team will be without the services of a host of first-team players. Eiran Cashin (shoulder), Sondre Langas (groin), Craig Forsyth (knee), Derry Murkin (hamstring) and Charlie Taylor (hamstring) are all out injured.
While Matt Clarke (calf) and Patrick Agyemang (Achilles tendon) are back in training, there is no clarity on whether they will be involved in this fixture. On top of that, there are doubts surrounding the fitness of Joe Ward, Ryan Hedges, David Ozoh (muscle) and Sammie Szmodics (muscle).
Derby are likely to line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Jacob Widell Zetterstrom starting in goal. Max Johnston and Jack Robinson should occupy the full-back positions, while Ryan Nyambe is expected to partner Dion Sanderson in central defence.
Lewis Travis and Bobby Clark are likely to form the midfield double pivot, with Filip Bilbija operating in the number ten role. Mohammed Fuseini and Rhian Brewster should provide support from the flanks, while Carlton Morris leads the line.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Widell Zetterstrom; Johnston, Nyambe, Sanderson, Robinson; Travis, Clark; Fuseini, Bilbija, Brewster; Morris
Bolton Wanderers
The visitors remain without the services of John McAtee (knee), Jayden Nelson (hamstring), Gavin Bazunu, Eoin Toal, Ethan Erhahon (muscle) and Ryan Hardie (muscle) due to injury.
Meanwhile, Josh Sheehan and Atsuki Ito picked up knocks in their last outing and might not be ready to start here.
Bolton are also expected to line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Jack Bonham starting in goal. Gaizka Larrazabal and Max Conway will feature as the full-backs, while Chris Forino-Joseph will partner with Akin Famewo in the heart of the defence.
Xavier Simons and David Watson are likely to form the midfield double pivot, with Ruben Rodrigues operating in the number ten role.
Samuel Iling-Junior and Thierry Gale should provide width from the flanks, while Sam Dalby leads the line.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Bonham; Larrazabal, Forino-Joseph, Famewo, Conway; Simons, Watson; Iling-Junior, Rodrigues, Gale; Dalby
Key Stats
- Derby County have only won one out of their 14 Championship games this season.
- Since securing a win over Portsmouth on September 1, Derby have been winless in their last ten outings (7 defeats).
- In their first season back in the 2nd division since 2018-19, Bolton already have 17 points, and they are 10 points clear of the drop zone.
- In the 16 meetings between the two teams, Derby have eight wins, while Bolton have only won thrice.
- The last time these two teams met in the Championship was back in April 2019, when Derby won 4-0.
Player to Watch
Samuel Iling-Junior
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The 23-year-old winger who is on loan from Aston Villa has just one assist in his 13 Championship outings, which is simply not good enough for a player of his quality. Things haven’t quite worked out for the English youth international since he left Juventus.
He was hoping this loan spell would work in his favour. However, it hasn’t clicked so far, but this could be a great opportunity for him to get back to his best and help his team secure consecutive wins.
Prediction
Derby County 1-2 Bolton Wanderers
Derby County are in desperate need of a result, but their recent form offers little reason for optimism. They have managed just one win in 14 league outings and were thoroughly outplayed by Norwich last time out. Their lengthy injury list also leaves them short of options, which could make this a difficult evening against a Bolton side looking to build momentum.
Bolton may not have been particularly consistent this season, but their recent win over Charlton should give them a timely confidence boost. They have enough quality in attack to exploit Derby’s defensive weaknesses, with Samuel Iling-Junior among those who could make a difference.
The hosts might put up a fight at Pride Park, but the visitors should have enough to edge a closely contested encounter. The Hard Tackle predicts a hard-fought 2-1 win for the away team.