Derby County boss Wayne Rooney insists that he will prepare the side as normal ahead of the huge game against Nottingham Forest tomorrow.

The East Midlands rivals will meet at Pride Park on Friday night, in a game that is always a massive one for the fans.

Whilst both have moved out of immediate danger thanks to promising recent results, they know that a few bad games could see them back in the relegation picture, making this a significant fixture.

However, speaking to The Athletic reporter Ryan Conway, the Rams chief made it clear that his players must use their heads, as he confirmed he won't be changing his approach for this match.

"There's no need for any extra motivation or to change how we work. The prep is the same, the messages are the same. The one thing I don't want to do is try and do something different before such an important game."

A win for Derby will see them leapfrog their rivals and go up to 14th position ahead of the weekend fixtures.

The verdict

Having played in the Merseyside and Manchester derby, as well as huge games in his career, Rooney will know what he's doing when it comes to dealing with high-pressure games.

And, he's right to not want to change his approach. Things have been going very well for Derby in recent weeks, so he shouldn't alter a winning formula.

But, you can be sure that the Derby players will know just how key this game is to the fans, and they will be desperate to pick up three points.

Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.