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Ravel Morrison dilemma key issue ahead of Preston North End clash

A glance at the Championship table shows Derby County’s need for a victory when Preston North End visit Pride Park Stadium on Saturday. The Rams are without a win in three and have won just one of their last seven, not a helpful run in their predicament.

They are bottom of the table and eight points adrift of safety with seven games left to play. If they can secure three points and other results go their way, notably the clash between Barnsley and Reading at Oakwell, it would be a huge boost to their outside chance of defying the odds and avoiding the drop into League One.

Manager Wayne Rooney is faced with a couple of interesting selection decisions. Does he recall striker Luke Plange to the starting XI and if Ravel Morrison is not available, who replaces him? Plange has been among the substitutes in the past two matches having started nine of the previous 10 games. This would seem the right moment to put him back in.

Morrison has been on international duty with Jamaica. The attacking midfielder started all three World Cup qualifiers against El Salvador, Canada and Honduras, and he scored his first goal for Jamaica in their 2-1 victory over Honduras. That qualifier was in Kingston yesterday (Thursday).

Given Morrison has had to travel back before linking up with Derby’s squad possibly today (Friday) at the earliest puts a question mark over whether he will start on Saturday.

PREDICTED XI HERE …