Rams look ready to stage a successful raid on the Potteries

Sky Bet Championship
Sky Sports Football & Main Event, 8pm Wednesday

Frank Lampard is having more ups than downs in his first season as a manager and his Derby team can strengthen their Sky Bet Championship promotion hopes by beating Stoke at the bet365 Stadium.

Stoke were ante-post 6-1 favourites to win the division after keeping the bulk of their Premier League squad and adding a new manager, Gary Rowett, with plenty of Championship experience.

But the Potters have won five of 18 league matches and Rowett is coming under pressure to get them much closer to the chasing pack.

His team have not been out of the bottom half and are not playing in a manner which suggests a winning run is just around the corner.

A lack of firepower has been an issue and Benik Afobe is their top scorer with just four league goals.

Afobe dropped to the bench for Saturday's 2-2 draw at home to QPR, making way for Saido Berahino, who netted his second league goal of the campaign.

But Berahino has had a miserable few years - scoring just six goals in his last 78 league appearances – and his selection smacks of desperation from a manager running out of ideas.

There are no such problems for Lampard, whose new-look Derby team possess several exciting attackers.

Jack Marriott has been the pick of the bunch, netting seven goals in all competitions, but is well supported by talented loanees Mason Mount and Harry Wilson, who have bagged five goals each.

Mount and fellow midfielder Craig Bryson returned from injury at the weekend to help the Rams to a hard-fought 2-1 success at Sheffield Wednesday.

It was a good way for Derby to respond to their 3-0 loss at home to Aston Villa before the international break and showed the character of the players, who are yet to suffer back-to-back losses this season.

The Rams' EFL Cup run, which featured a penalty shootout success at Manchester United and a narrow 3-2 loss at Chelsea, demonstrated a level of quality which should be enough to sustain a serious promotion push.

Derby are not always as consistent as Lampard would like but they have an eight-point advantage over Stoke and look capable of extending it with a victory in the Potteries.

Recommendation
Derby draw no bet
2pts 5-4 Betfair, Paddy Power

Bet on this match at Soccerbase.com

Team news
Stoke
Ibrahim Afellay (knee) is sidelined and Erik Pieters (quad) has not featured since late October.

Derby
Mason Mount (ankle) and Craig Bryson (calf) returned from injury at the weekend and should be involved again. Jayden Bogle is available after illness but Craig Forsyth (knee) is out long-term.

Key stat
Derby have scored in eight of their last nine fixtures.

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