Derby County midfielder George Evans has suggested that he is wanting to force his way into Phillip Cocu's side, and that he would be comfortable filling in in defence if the Dutchman selected him there on Saturday against Preston.

Evans has endured a somewhat frustrating first few months of the season, having started the first three matches of the season helping the Rams claim five points from their opening three games, but the midfielder suffered a thigh injury in training at the end of August which saw him miss a large part of the last few months.

However, having made his comeback in the last few weeks, Evans will hoping for a run in the team over the next few months, and he could be given the chance to do that with centre half Matt Clarke being forced off with an injury against Nottingham Forest last time out, meaning the midfielder came on with Krystian Bielik moving back into defence.

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Speaking to the media ahead of Derby's meeting with Preston North End on Saturday, Evans suggested that he is looking to kick on and force his way into the side, and that he is comfortable playing in either defence or midfield, saying: "It has been frustrating (with the injury) but hopefully I can kick on now.

"I played a lot of pre-season games at the back, and felt comfortable. Whether it is midfield or at the back, I just want to get some games in now."

The Verdict

Evans' return to first team involvement has come at a good time for Cocu, with the Dutchman facing the prospect of having to find a new centre-half partner for Curtis Davies for the Rams' clash with Preston - and the 24-year-old offers the flexibility of being able to play in defence or midfield.

It will therefore be interesting to see what Cocu does with his side against Preston, with the Dutchman having tried Evans out in the centre of defence during the Rams' pre-season, while Bielik is also able to offer a reliable presence at the heart of the defence.

Cocu might not be wanting to take Bielik out of the holding midfield role he has been performing so well in of late, and he could therefore move Evans back to centre half, which his comments suggest he is more than willing to if called upon by his manager.