Paul Warne will oversee his first home game as Derby County manager on Saturday when his side welcomes Port Vale to Pride Park Stadium.

The former Rotherham United boss' opening match in charge saw him guide the Rams to their first away league win of the season last weekend. 

Derby had not scored on the road in League One either, but James Collins' brace helped them beat Cambridge United 2-0.

Warne's men turned their attention to the Papa John's Trophy on Tuesday, losing 6-5 on penalties away to Mansfield Town after drawing 1-1 in normal time.

Meanwhile, Darrell Clarke's Valiants lost 1-0 at home to third-placed Sheffield Wednesday in their last outing.

Vale have played a game more than eighth-placed Derby and sit five points behind them in 17th.

  • Team news

Derby

Goalkeeper Joseph Anang (arm) and forward David McGoldrick (groin) remain sidelined for the Rams.

Korey Smith (toe), Jake Rooney (thigh), and William Osula (illness) have resumed training and could return to the matchday squad.

Port Vale

Midfielder Funso Ojo will remain absent for the next few weeks after suffering a hamstring injury in the 3-0 loss at Peterborough United.

The only other absentee for the Valiants is striker Jamie Proctor (hip).

  • Likely lineups

Derby

Wildsmith; Chester, Davies, Cashin; Mendez-Laing, Knight, Bird, Hourihane, Barkhuizen; Dobbin; Collins.

Port Vale

Stevens; Smith, Forrester, Jones; Massey, Walker, Conlon, Benning; Garrity; Wilson, Harrison.

  • Key players

Max Bird

Bird came through Derby's academy and made his first-team debut aged 16 in a 3-2 EFL Cup defeat against Barnsley at Oakwell in 2017.

There was speculation he might leave Pride Park in the summer following the Rams' relegation to League One, with Championship side Coventry City reportedly interested. 

Thankfully for Derby, he remains at the club and has provided two assists so far this campaign. 

The 22-year-old midfielder also scored a stunning goal in the Rams’ 3-1 Papa John's Trophy win at home to Grimsby Town.

Ellis Harrison

Harrison joined Vale in August for an undisclosed fee from fellow League One outfit Fleetwood Town.

He had previously played for Clarke at Bristol Rovers, helping them make an instant return to the Football League in 2015. The 28-year-old Welshman equalised for the Gas at Wembley against Grimsby in the play-off final, and they went on to win 5-3 on penalties.

Rovers won promotion again the following season as Harrison scored eight goals. His most notable was a late leveller against league leaders Northampton Town in April, with the Gas going up on goal difference on the final day.

Permanent moves to Ipswich Town and Portsmouth materialised before he joined Fleetwood, where he scored six goals in 18 appearances last season while providing two assists.

Harrison has almost equalled that goal tally this campaign, scoring five times in his first nine appearances for the Valiants.

  • Previous meetings

The sides have met twice in friendlies over the past nine years, with Derby winning both, but Saturday will be their first competitive meeting since 1996.

It ended 1-1 at Vale Park on that occasion, with the reverse fixture at Derby's former home, The Baseball Ground, finishing goalless.

A 2-0 victory for the Rams on 19 November 1994 was the last time they beat Vale at home.

Derby have won nine of the 20 meetings, while the Valiants have won seven.

  • Match details

Where is the game being played?

Saturday's match will take place at Derby's Pride Park Stadium, which has a capacity of 33,597.

Vale received an allocation of 2,700 tickets and have sold out.

What time is kick-off?

The game will kick off at 15:00 BST.

How can I watch?

Supporters outside of the UK and Ireland can watch the action on RamsTV or Vale's iFollow, with passes costing £10.