After experiencing a woeful start to the 2019/20 campaign, Derby County have picked up their performance levels in recent weeks in the Championship.
Following an impressive 1-1 draw against Leeds United, the Rams secured a 3-2 victory over Birmingham City before being forced to settle for a point during their clash with Barnsley.
Undeterred by their setback at Oakwell, Derby made a return to winning ways earlier this month against Luton Town.
With the Rams looking to push on after the international break, a number of their fringe players will be determined to impress manager Phillip Cocu over the coming months.
Keeping this in mind, here are three Derby players who we think need to make a decisive impact for the club between now and January...
Mason Bennett
A product of Derby's youth academy, Mason Bennett has struggled to make any inroads for the club this season.
Limited to just three starts in all competitions, the forward has yet to find the back of the net for the Rams.
Currently behind the likes of Jack Marriott, Martyn Waghorn and Chris Martin in the pecking order at Derby, it is imperative that Bennett illustrates to Cocu in training why he deserves an opportunity to impress in the Championship.
Lee Buchanan
Since scoring on his debut for Derby in the Carabao Cup in August, Lee Buchanan has only featured on three further occasions for the club in all competitions.
With Scott Malone currently impressing at full-back, the 18-year-old will need to pick up his performance levels if he is to force his way into contention for a starting role.
If Buchanan continues to watch on from the sidelines, he may find it beneficial to make a temporary exit from Pride Park as doing so will give the chance to play regular first team football.
Andre Wisdom
Having recently made his return from injury, Andre Wisdom will now be aiming to reclaim his place in Derby's starting eleven between now and January.
Whilst it is fair to say that the 26-year-old has struggled for consistency since joining the Rams in 2017 from Liverpool, there is no reason why he cannot help the club achieve a relative amount of success this season.
Providing that he can hit the ground running over the coming months, Wisdom may emerge as a pivotal player for Cocu.
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