Clarke expected to get green light after limping off in victory
DERBY County are hoping defender Matt Clarke will be fit to face Watford in tomorrow night’s Championship clash at Vicarage Road.
Clarke limped off shortly before half-time in the 2-1 victory over Wycombe Wanderers at Adams Park on Tuesday night.
He took a knock on the hip and it was hindering his movement.
“I think he will be OK,” said Rams manager Wayne Rooney.
“He got a cut on his eye which he had stitched and then he got a knock on his hip.
“He just felt he was struggling to move. He didn’t want to play somebody onside or not be able to move properly, so he came off. I am sure he will be fine for Friday.”
George Edmundson made his debut when he came on for Clarke.
Edmundson joined the Rams on loan from Rangers on transfer deadline day.
“George came in, his first game for quite a while, and he did quite well,” Rooney said.
Derby’s fifth win in six matches lifted them to 16th.
The gap between them and the bottom three is now six points.
Rooney changed both Rams fullbacks against the Chairboys.
Nathan Byrne had started the previous 11 League matches and Lee Buchanan nine of the previous 11.
They dropped to the bench for the Wycombe game and in came Teden Mengi at right-back and Craig Forsyth at left-back.
Mengi, the 18-year-old on loan from Manchester United, made his first start, while the experienced Forsyth came in for his first start in seven games.
Derby won 2-1 thanks to a 94thminute goal from defender Andre Wisdom.
Afterwards Rooney was asked about his thinking behind the changes he made to the team.
“With Teden and Fozzy, we knew they (Wycombe) put a lot of balls into your box,” he said.
“The two lads we brought in are obviously a bit more physical than Lee and Nathan, it gave us a bit more height.
“I felt if we could do that and try not to concede from set plays, then be brave on the ball and play some good football, we’d have a great chance of winning the game.
“Fozzy and Teden did well for us defensively and allowed us in the last 10 minutes to bring Nathan and Lee on.”
Byrne and Buchanan came off the bench for Mengi and Forsyth after 80 minutes.