For the first time this season, the East Midlands derby is upon us.

This Sunday, Derby County host Nottingham Forest in what promises to be a tightly contested rival match.

Philippe Montanier is getting his first taste of an English derby with his team coming into the fixture on the back of three successive wins, including a triumph over Newcastle United last weekend.

Derby, meanwhile, have won their last five games in a row so this should be a mouth-watering clash.

But who will win the bragging rights in the East Midlands this time?

I think the winners of this game will be decided by the midfield battle.

This is the position that is packed with the most quality over the pitch and both sets of midfielders have incredibly significant defensive and attacking contributions to make this weekend.

Tackles will be flying in and emotions will be high but the occasion mustn't get to these players as they have a job to do on the field.

For Nottingham Forest, they will be relying on the attacking impetus of Ben Osborn and Henri Lansbury.

Osborn is likely to play just behind the striker and float into wide areas whilst Lansbury will bomb forward and join him in the attacking midfield regions.

It will be Bradley Johnson, who will be tasked with sitting deep in midfield and preventing Osborn and Lansbury from asserting too much influence on the game.

For Derby County, they will benefit from the energy of Jacob Butterfield but will be heavily reliant on the pure quality that Will Hughes oozes.

The left-footed youngster will look to pick the ball up in space in midfield and feed the front three with a range of exquisitely executed passes.

There is no doubt that Montanier will deploy Thomas Lam as a defensive midfielder with the primary role of limiting Hughes' influence on this fixture.

Nottingham Forest midfielders Pajtim Kasami and Matty Cash could also play a big role whilst Tom Ince will pose a constant threat from the wide areas.

If one team's midfielders enjoy the better of the game, then it is likely that the result will swing in favour of their team.

Derby and Forest fans - do you agree with this? Who are the key men to watch in this fixture? Let us know in the comments below...