Knight in frame and his energy may be key for visitors

JASON Knight started in 28 of Wayne Rooney’s 33 League games as Derby County manager last season and he is available again after recovering from an ankle injury suffered in pre-season.

The Republic of Ireland international appeared briefly as a substitute in Friday night’s 2-0 defeat by Birmingham City and it will be interesting to see if Rooney hands the 20-year-old a start when the Rams take on Championship leaders West Browich Albion at The Hawthorns tonight (8pm).

Knight missed all of the pre-season matches and the decision facing Rooney is whether or not the player is ready to start.

Looking ahead to the West Brom game, Rooney said: “I think it will be combative on Tuesday the way West Brom play – it is very much in your face, long balls, and it will be a lot more physical game on Tuesday than Birmingham was, so we have to make sure we are ready for that.”

An option for Rooney would be to use Knight’s energy and combativeness in a three-man midfield with Max Bird and Graeme Shinnie.

This could help Derby secure a foothold in the game.

Shinnie and Bird were not at their best against Birmingham but both had impressed in the previous game against Nottingham Forest when Bird was Derby’s best player, while Shinnie was his tenacious self in the thick of the action.

Another option, if Derby stick with 4-2-3-1, would be to use Knight or Louie Sibley in a three behind the striker.

Derby struggled to prise open Birmingham in the last game and managed only two efforts on target from their 67% possession. Both efforts came from skipper Tom Lawrence.

Could a rejig in attack featuring Lawrence trouble West Brom?

Lawrence operated as a false number nine with effect against Forest, supported by Ravel Morrison, Kamil Jozwiak and Louie Sibley, who has started the last five matches. Their movement, their interchanging was a significant factor in the first half.

Jozwiak is available again after missing the Birmingham fixture, having played 80 minutes for Poland against England in a World Cup qualifier in Warsaw less than 48 hours earlier.

Morrison’s starting position in an 11 does not prevent him from roaming in search of space and the ball, and his calmness in possession means he can and does pop up in different areas of the pitch.

If Lawrence played as a ‘9’, it would mean Sam Baldock missing out but Derby did not trouble Birmingham enough, and that has to change.

Craig Forsyth serves the second of his three-match ban and Lee Buchanan started the Birmingham game at left-back.

Goalkeeper Kelle Roos looked uncertain at Birmingham, especially with his distribution but he has had a good start to the season, generally.

“His kicking particularly in the first half and in the second half wasn’t what we know it can be. That is something we will look at and needs to improve because a big way of how we are playing relies a lot on the goalkeeper, on their distribution,” Rooney said of Roos.

■■DERBY 4-3-3 TO FACE WEST BROM:

Roos; Byrne, Jagielka, Davies, Buchanan; Knight, Bird, Shinnie; Jozwiak, Lawrence, Morrison.

■■DERBY 4-2-3-1 TO FACE WEST BROM

Roos; Byrne, Jagielka, Davies, Buchanan; Bird, Shinnie; Knight, Morrison, Jozwiak; Lawrence.

■■DERBY 4-3-1-2 TO FACE WEST BROM

Roos; Byrne, Jagielka, Davies, Buchanan; Knight, Bird, Shinnie; Morrison; Jozwiak, Lawrence.