Preview: West Bromwich Albion vs Derby County - prediction, team news, lineups

Two Championship clubs will lock horns in the first round of the EFL Cup on Tuesday evening, with West Bromwich Albion welcoming Derby County to the Hawthorns for an intriguing affair.

West Brom opened their 2025-26 Championship season with a 1-0 victory over Blackburn Rovers, while the Rams suffered a 3-1 loss to Stoke City in their opening league game of the campaign.

Match preview

West Brom finished ninth in the Championship last season, four points off sixth-placed Bristol City, and there is no question that they will be expecting to once again push for the top six in 2025-26.

Ryan Mason's side made the perfect start to their 2025-26 Championship campaign, recording a 1-0 victory over Blackburn on Saturday, with Isaac Price netting the only goal of the contest in the 15th minute.

The Baggies will be back in Championship action away to Wrexham on August 16, but their immediate focus is on the EFL Cup and a first-round contest against league rivals Derby.

West Brom won the League Cup in 1965-66, beating West Ham United in the final of the tournament, while they are also five-time winners of the FA Cup, so the team knows that it takes to win major cup competitions.

The Baggies have actually lost each of their last four matches with Derby in all competitions, including a 3-1 defeat when the two teams last locked horns in April 2025.

Derby have won the last three Championship matches between the two sides, while they also recorded a 1-0 victory when the pair locked horns in the second round of the League Cup in August 2022.

The Rams also began their Championship campaign on Saturday, but they were unable to start with a win, suffering a 3-1 defeat away to Stoke City, so it was a disappointing opening to the season for the club.

John Eustace's side finished 19th in the Championship last season, so there is clear room for improvement this term, and the supporters will be hoping that their side can push higher up the division.

Derby have never won the League Cup, so they are chasing history in the competition this term, but the Rams have previously won the FA Cup, lifting the trophy in 1946.

It would be fair to say that Derby will view the Championship as their main priority this season, but progressing in the cup competitions does give manager Eustace the opportunity to keep squad players happy with first-team action.

West Bromwich Albion form (all competitions):

Derby County form (all competitions):

Team News

West Brom head coach Mason will make wholesale changes to the side that took to the field for the clash against Blackburn, and there will not be a spot in the squad for Darnell Furlong, who is suspended following his red card on the opening weekend of the new Championship campaign.

The Baggies have not reported any injury issues from Saturday's game, but there could be as many as eight changes, with Devante Cole and Josh Maja both expected to be introduced in forward areas.

Meanwhile, there should be a spot between the sticks for number two goalkeeper Joe Wildsmith.

As for Derby, there will also be a number of changes from the side that started against Stoke on Saturday afternoon.

Eustace is likely to again select Carlton Morris in the final third of the field, but Dajaune Brown and Andreas Weimann should be among those to come into the side, in addition to Bobby Clark and Dion Sanderson.

However, Patrick Agyemang, Kane Wilson, Sondre Langas, Lars-Jorgen Salvesen, Curtis Nelson, Owen Beck and Matt Clarke all unavailable for selection due to injury issues.

West Bromwich Albion possible starting lineup:

Wildsmith; Taylor, Phillips, Campbell, Styles; Diakite, Deeming; Wallace, Price, Cole; Maja

Derby County possible starting lineup:

Vickers; Nyambe, Rooney, Sanderson, Elder; Ozoh, Osborn, Clark; Weimann, Morris, Brown

We say: West Bromwich Albion 2-1 Derby County

West Brom will have home advantage on Tuesday, and we are backing the Baggies to break a four-game losing run against Derby in order to book their spot in the second round of this season's EFL Cup.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.