Wayne Rooney has highlighted that his Derby County side have made a stronger start than Nottingham Forest in the 2021/22 campaign and said he's excited about Saturday's East Midlands derby. 

The two fierce rivals meet at Pride Park on Saturday having had differing fortunes so far this term.

Forest are bottom of the Championship and are yet to earn a single point, having lost all four of their league games so far.

Derby, on the other hand, have surprised many by taking five points from their first four games after a chaotic summer, which left Rooney with a threadbare squad.

Even so, it seems the Rams boss is relishing the opportunity to claim his first East Midlands derby win.

Speaking to Derbyshire Live, he said: "I can't wait, I can't wait.

"I hope they are ready because these players will be ready. Of course, they (Forest) haven't had a good start and we have had a positive start to the season."

Rooney's options for the weekend's game will be limited due to the injury issues he has in his squad, with Jason Knight, Kornell McDonald, and Festy Ebosele all questionable and both Colin Kazim-Richards and Krystian Bielik definitely out.

Derby captain Tom Lawrence could feature despite his groin issues and it is said he may have an injection to ensure he's available for Saturday.

The Verdict 

You'd imagine that the Derby fanbase will be much more excited about Saturday's game than the Forest support given how they've started the season.

That's reflected in these comments from Rooney, who you feel believes this is a fantastic opportunity to get his first East Midlands derby win.

He'll have loved dropping the subtle dig about his side starting the season better than the Reds, particularly given the off-field chaos ahead over the summer.

You have to give him credit for how well the Rams have done given the bookies had stopped taking bets on them being relegated ahead of the start of the season.

Saturday's game could be a massive moment for Rooney, while defeat could spell the end of Chris Hughton's tenure.