Team News: Will Hughes dropped to Derby County bench

Derby County have dropped Will Hughes to the bench for the first time this season for their trip to Blackburn Rovers this afternoon.

The highly-rated England Under-21 international, who has been heavily linked with Liverpool, has started every one of the 25 Championship games that he has been available for this term.

However, Rams boss Steve McClaren has today opted to only name the 18-year-old midfielder among his substitutes, with Jeff Hendrick taking his place in the centre of the park in Derby's only change.

Despite scoring the winner as a replacement on his Derby debut against Brighton & Hove Albion last weekend, Chelsea loanee Patrick Bamford is named alongside Hughes on the bench.

Blackburn have ex-England international goalkeeper Paul Robinson back in their starting lineup after he missed the defeat to Nottingham Forest with a hamstring injury, so Simon Eastwood misses out.

Top goalscorer Jordan Rhodes shakes off an injury to start and he takes Joshua King's place up front, but Scott Dann is absent with an Achilles injury and therefore Matt Kilgallon deputises in defence.

Blackburn: Robinson; Henley, Hanley, Kilgallon, Spurr; Marshall, Lowe, Cairney, Taylor; Gestede, Rhodes Subs: Eastwood, Kane, Dunn, Olsson, Williamson, Morris, Mahoney

Derby: Grant; Wisdom, Buxton, Keogh, Forsyth; Eustace, Bryson, Hendrick, Dawkins; Ward, Martin Subs: Legzdins, Russell, Sammon, Hughes, Whitbread, Bamford, Keane