Derby County boss Phillip Cocu has revealed that Jack Marriott and Graeme Shinnie are closing in on returns to action as the Rams gear up for Friday's FA Cup clash at Northampton.

Phillip Cocu's side continued their strong form at Pride Park with a 1-0 success over Hull City yesterday, with defender Matt Clarke scoring the only goal of the game.

That was a very good result considering Cocu is short in key areas, but he told the club's media that they could be boosted by the returning duo in the coming days.

"I expect Jack [Marriott] to return on Monday. I don’t know if he can do everything with the team just yet. Shinnie could be involved, but we will have to see how the week goes. There is a chance."

Striker Marriott has endured a frustrating campaign for Derby and has missed the last three games, whilst the versatile Shinnie hasn't featured since November.

The ex-Aberdeen man coming back to fitness will be a huge boost after Krystian Bielik suffered a serious knee ligament injury.

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The verdict

This is a big boost for Derby as they are short in key areas and the two returning players will have a lot to offer when they return.

As mentioned, having Shinnie back will be a massive boost because Bielik's long-term injury and he will provide a lot of energy in the middle of the park.

As for Marriott, his last performance against Barnsley was encouraging in the sense that he got plenty of chances and scored one, so he too could have a big part to play in the coming months.

Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.