The Rams host the Potters at Pride Park in the Championship on Wednesday night.
Derby County have got themselves back on track over the past week, with victory over Wigan Athletic being followed up by a draw with Sheffield Wednesday at the weekend which has put them back into the Championship’s top six.
Although seventh-placed Bristol City have a game in hand on the Rams, Frank Lampard’s charges will nonetheless be looking to do all they can from their end to stay in the playoff positions as they prepare to host Stoke City on Wednesday night.
By comparison, the Potters have not had a particularly good season following their relegation from the Premier League last term, and they currently sit a lowly 16th in the standings.
However, as testament to how competitive the division is, they’re closer to the top six (10 points) than the bottom three (12 points) with 10 games left ahead of Tuesday’s league fixtures.
Despite the different in league positions, Lampard is full of respect for Stoke, describing them as a “very strong team” which was tipped as one of the favourites for promotion ahead of the season.
Speaking about hoping to keep Derby in the playoff positions, he told the official club website: “We have an opportunity to do that, albeit against a very strong team who were probably a lot of people’s favourites to win the Championship going into this season with the personnel, so we can’t look away from that.
“It is going to be a tough match and one we have to be ready for. It is a home game and we are off the back of a win and a draw and in sixth position even though we know we have had a tough patch recently, so it is completely up to us now.”
The Potters have won one, drawn four and lost one of their last six games, while the Rams had lost four in a row in all competitions prior to their four-point haul from their last two matches (Sky Sports).
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
