Derby County duo Lee Buchanan and Festy Ebosele are both set to be monitored by the club ahead of this weekend's showdown with Peterborough United.

Ebosele was introduced as a substitute during last Saturday's 4-1 defeat to Middlesbrough despite the fact that he had been struggling to overcome an issue with his hamstring in the build up to this fixture.

Buchanan meanwhile experienced a tough afternoon at the Riverside Stadium as he scored an own-goal in the first-half of this game.

The 20-year-old was deployed as a centre-back by manager Wayne Rooney due to the absence of Richard Stearman who is currently serving a three-match suspension for a red card that he received earlier this month.

When you consider that Derby could potentially close the gap between them and Reading to two points if they beat Peterborough, they will be determined to deliver the goods in-front of their supporters at Pride Park.

However, a defeat to Posh combined with a victory for the Royals in their meeting with Preston North End will leave the Rams with a mountain to climb in their quest for survival.

As cited by the Derby Telegraph, Rooney has confirmed in his pre-match press conference that Ebosele will be assessed ahead of the club's clash with Peterborough whilst he is also keeping a close eye on Buchanan after the defender picked up a knock in training.

 

 

The Verdict

For Derby's sake, they will be hoping that Ebosele and Buchanan will be able to overcome their respective issues as this particular duo could help them secure a vital victory over Peterborough.

Buchanan has now made 59 appearances at Championship level during his career and thus knows exactly what it takes to compete in this particular division.

Meanwhile, Ebosele produced an excellent performance in Derby's most recent home game as he scored in their 3-1 victory over Hull City.

By sealing all three points in this fixture, the Rams could potentially use the confidence gained from this result to push on under the guidance of Rooney in the coming weeks.