Derby County's pursuit of a first win in the Championship this season will continue when they host second-placed Middlesbrough at the iPro Stadium on Tuesday.
The two sides were among the pre-season favourites to win promotion to the Premier League this term, but have both dropped points in their first two outings.
Derby County
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Derby County are without a win from their first two outings in the league this season, but they remain unbeaten, sharing draws with Charlton Athletic and Bolton Wanderers so far.
Paul Clement's side are also out of the Capital One Cup already, losing 2-1 to League Two side Portsmouth in the first round of the competition last week.
While some Derby fans may have been expecting more than two points from a possible six at this stage, the manager has insisted that he is happy with the draw that his side shared with Charlton on Saturday.
Despite their patchy form at the start of the 2015-16 term, the Rams looked impressive in pre-season, winning four of their six friendlies, and losing just one.
There is still plenty of transfer speculation surrounding the club, with reports suggesting that they are the favourites to sign former Queens Park Rangers midfielder Joey Barton, while failing in a bid to sign Alex Pritchard on loan from Tottenham Hotspur.
Derby have already made 10 permanent signings this summer, including former Aston Villa strikers Darren Bent and Andreas Weimann, plus Hull City winger Tom Ince, who spent last season on loan with the club.
Recent form: WDDLDD
Recent form (all competitions): WDWDLW
Middlesbrough
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Fresh from the disappointment of losing the playoff final at Wembley at the end of last season, Middlesbrough have made a solid start to this season, picking up four points out of a possible six so far.
Boro were held to a goalless draw by the newly-promoted Preston North End in their opening match, but they claimed a convincing win over Neil Lennon's Bolton Wanderers at the Riverside on Saturday.
In between their first two league fixtures, Tuesday's visitors were in League Cup action, comfortably booking a spot in the second round with a 3-1 victory over Oldham.
The team's form in the league so far backs up an impressive run in their pre-season friendlies, winning three of their four fixtures, including a meeting with Spanish side Getafe at the start of the month.
Aitor Karanka has earned plaudits since taking up his role at the Riverside in November 2013, and he has pledged his long-term future to the club, signing a four-year contract extension last week.
Although Middlesbrough lost last season's top scorer Patrick Bamford at the end of the campaign, with the striker returning to parent club Chelsea before later joining Crystal Palace on another loan deal, the club has been busy in the transfer market over the summer, signing the likes of Christian Stuani, David Nugent and Stewart Downing.
Recent form: DWWLDW
Recent form (all competitions): DWWDWW
Team News
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Both sides have reported a clean bill of health following their weekend outings, with neither side picking up any fresh knocks ahead of this clash.
However, Derby will continue to miss England Under-21 international Will Hughes, who is recovering from a torn ACL, while Craig Bryson also misses out with a knee injury.
For the visitors, Nugent is in line for his first start after making his debut off the bench against Bolton at the weekend, although he is unlikely to oust Kike from the starting lineup after he netted a brace.
Ben Gibson is still struggling with a hamstring problem, which he picked up in pre-season, while Jonathan Woodgate, Damia Abella and Rhys Williams are among the long-term absentees.
Derby County possible starting lineup:
Carson; Baird, Keogh, Shackell, Forsyth; Hendrick, Thorne, Hanson, Christie; Martin, Bent
Middlesbrough possible starting lineup:
Konstantopoulos; Nsue, Ayala, Kalas, Friend; Clayton, Leadbitter, Adomah, Downing; Kike, Nugent
Head To Head
When the sides met at the iPro Stadium back in March, it was Middlesbrough who returned to the North-East with all three points, securing a 1-0 win. It gave Boro a third straight win over Derby.
Draws between these two sides have been rare in recent years, with just two of the last 17 matches finishing level, while 12 of those have been won by Middlesbrough. This fixture can be a heated affair, as two of the last four ties between these two clubs have resulted in one side finishing with 10 men.
In 96 previous meetings between these two teams, Boro have the edge, picking up 46 wins, while Derby have been victorious just 31 times, leaving 19 draws.
We say: Derby County 1-2 Middlesbrough
Although just two points separate these teams in the table, Middlesbrough have looked by far the stronger of the two sides at the start of the new season. Furthermore, they have an impressive record against Derby County in recent seasons.
Sian Cowper
