Derby County vs Middlesbrough preview - Clement weighs up options

Posted Monday, August 17, 2015 by PA

Paul Clement has no new injury problems as he looks for his first win as Derby head coach against Middlesbrough at the iPro Stadium.

With Will Hughes and Craig Bryson sidelined by knee injuries, Clement opted to play Jamie Hanson in central midfield against Charlton on Saturday and the former Chelsea, Paris St Germain and Real Madrid assistant could put his faith in the teenager again on Tuesday night.

Darren Bent and his ex-Aston Villa team-mate Andreas Weimann are options should Clement wish to change anything in attack, while Alex Pearce will hope to be involved after he was left out of the squad at the weekend.

Meanwhile, fellow defender Jake Buxton resumed full training on Monday, having been out since undergoing back surgery in March. He will probably not be available until after September's international break, though.

Middlesbrough head coach Aitor Karanka also has no fresh concerns ahead of the trip as he looks to build on Saturday's comprehensive 3-0 home victory over Bolton.

Central defender Ben Gibson was missing once again at the weekend as he continues his recovery from a hamstring problem and is unlikely to be available.

Striker David Nugent, a B£4million signing from Barclays Premier League Leicester, was handed a debut as a late substitute against the Trotters and he will be pushing for a start, although Kike's double means he may have to remain patient.

Elsewhere, experienced defender Jonathan Woodgate continues to work his way back to full fitness while long-term absentees Alex Baptiste, Damia Abella and Rhys Williams are still missing.