Who makes strongest team?

DERBY County’s next game after the international break will them take on Birmingham City at St Andrew’s, writes Steve Nicholson.

Without any changes to the squad as the transfer deadline passed, what is the strong XI available to manager Wayne Rooney for the game?

Krystian Bielik and Colin KazimRichards are long-term absentees while midfielder Jason Knight has been out since suffering an ankle injury early on in pre-season.

Bielik is progressing well in his recovery from a serious knee injury but the Polish international is not expected back until around the turn of the year.

Kazim-Richards damaged an Achilles in the defeat at Peterborough and although the club has yet to put a timeframe on how long he will be sidelined, it looks likely to be months.

Knight is expected to return to training soon but the Republic of Ireland international will need time to get up to speed having missed virtually all of pre-season. He will push Max Bird and Graeme Shinnie for a central midfield role when available although Bird, especially, is playing very well.

Sam Baldock is set to be fit for the Birmingham game having missed the last two matches with a hamstring problem but Tom Lawrence made an impact as a false number nine against Nottingham Forest, supported by Ravel Morrison, Kamil Jozwiak and Louie Sibley. Rooney has the option of looking at that again.

The battle for the left-back role continues between Craig Forsyth and Lee Buchanan. Forsyth gets the nod, currently.

MY XI to face Blues: (4-2-1-3): Roos; Byrne, Jagielka, Davies, Forsyth; Bird, Shinnie; Morrison; Jozwiak, Lawrence, Sibley.