Europe’s no factor for Blues

overpriced signings. Ahmed Musa cost £16m in the summer, has hardly set the world alight and was the only survivor from those who started in Sunday’s defeat to Manchester United.

Steve McClaren was also saving his players, in his case for a Premier League promotion drive. But it was County who started much brighter.

There was a nervous atmosphere at the King Power Stadium given the home side’s desperate form which has left them two points off the bottom of the table.

Slowly they got into the game. Gray, a comparative snip at £3.7m, was dangerous down the flanks and on 33 minutes Musa just failed to get on the end of his cross with the goal gaping.

Leicester, already aggrieved when a penalty shout following a Jason Shackell challenge on Musa was

REVISED 5TH ROUND DRAW

Burnley v Lincoln City Fulham v Tottenham Blackburn v Man Utd Sutton Utd v Arsenal Middlesbro’ v Oxford U Wolves v Chelsea Huddersfield v Man City Millwall v Leicester City Games to be played from February 17-20

waved away, were seething again after referee Jones saw nothing wrong with Richard Keogh’s barge on Ben Chilwell.

Two minutes into the second half they were ahead. Gray, easily the best player on the pitch, was the architect as time and again his pace and trickery set him apart.

He made space down the right, put over a cross to the far post and Marc Albrighton headed back across the face of goal for Andy King to nod in.

Ranieri celebrated wildly along the touchline and it looked as if the old Leicester had returned.

The Foxes pushed for another. But just when it seemed they were taking charge, their luck ran out again.

Derby’s Julien de Sart nudged a short-free kick to Abdoul Camara and his shot deflected off Chilwell in the Leicester wall, wrong-footed keeper Ron-Robert Zieler and flew into the opposite corner.

It was a hell of a break for Derby and the confidence draining from the Leicester players was almost visible.

Rams keeper Jonathan Mitchell escaped punishment when he raced out of goal and thwarted an attack by handling outside the area, but referee Jones missed it.

Leicester pushed for a winner, and it almost came when Derby’s Max Lowe misplaced an attempt to chest a cross back to his keeper, saw the ball bounce off a post.

Four minutes into extra-time sub Riyad Mahrez drove forward and fed Ndidi, whose 25-yard shot flew in off a post. Keogh upended Islam Slimani, again there was no penalty. It did not matter in the end, thanks to Gray’s wonderful solo effort. STEVE McCLAREN is not to everyone’s taste after ill-fated brief spells in charge of England and Newcastle.

But the return of the Mac (above) has turned around Derby’s season.

Sacked by County’s technology mogul Mel Morris in May 2015 for flirting with Newcastle, McClaren was the man Morris turned to in October after a stormy bust-up with Nigel Pearson following a dire start to the season.

Now, the Rams are far more likely to go up than down after 11 wins from 18 games in the Championship.

Their reignited promotion hopes meant McClaren made eight changes at the King Power ahead of three successive home games in the League.

It saw County bench winger Tom Ince, who has been a revelation with 10 goals since McClaren returned.

But Derby, who were unlucky to be taken to a replay by a late Wes Morgan equaliser, still troubled the Premier League hosts.

It delighted the visiting fans, who chanted McClaren’s name.

The warm sentiments will not be lost on McClaren, who has endured more than one humiliation.

No one can forget his spell in charge of England from August 2006November 2007 as the national team failed to reach Euro 2008.

He was dubbed “The Wally With The Brolly” as England were beaten in the rain at Wembley by Croatia.

There was more embarrassment, too, at Newcastle, where he was dismissed in March with the side bound for the drop.

It was enough to make McClaren question his future in coaching and he is currently studying for a director of football qualification.

But he won’t want to swap the dug-out for the directors’ box.

The media-savvy Rams boss seemed to relish TV cameras in the dressing room last night.

He was seen encouraging his players before the match and had his tactics board out at half-time.

It helped County fight back to level the tie.

But, more importantly, his eighth-placed Derby side have a realistic chance of making the play-offs to return to the Premier League. THIBAUT COURTOIS has dismissed suggestions Chelsea have had a title advantage this season.

Keeper Courtois (above) insists having a season free of European football has not been a big factor in the Blues’ success this term.

He said: “In some ways it’s good, in other ways maybe not.

“Everybody wants to play in Europe and, if you’re in the rhythm of playing a game every three or four days, sometimes you can play better, even though it’s harder at the end of the season.

“We have a lot of people on the bench who want to play and maybe haven’t had as many minutes as they deserve.

“The other year, when we were champions, we had European football, so I don’t think it makes a big difference.”