George Burley has called for his side to play more penetrating balls and to get forward earlier against Derby on Saturday. Town go into the game with three players facing fitness tests on the morning of the match.

Matt Holland (medial ligament) and Mark Venus (calf) will not train until Saturday when they will have a test in the morning prior to the game. Both are considered touch and go by the Town boss, but he is giving them every opportunity to be fit.

Darren Ambrose also faces a late test after he took a knock to his instep on Tuesday which is still sore.

Midfielder Tommy Miller missed training today with a virus, but Alun Armstrong is back after his recent bout of flu. Miller is considered a bit of a doubt.

There is good news on Keith Branagan's recovery. The former Bolton man had surgery to a shoulder towards the end of last season, but, according to his manager, is now approaching fitness: “It was a major operation, but in the last three or four weeks he's really improved a lot and we're anticipating him joining in training in the next week or two and then pushing on.

“He's certainly improved with the exercises he's been doing, but it's a long job. After a major operation there are no guarantees when you're going to be fit but we're more optimistic now than we were a few weeks ago that he's going to make a full recovery.”

Defender Chris Makin is also on the road to fitness: “Chris played 70 minutes with the reserves yesterday and came through, although he's very stiff today. It's really his pre-season and that was his first game of the season. He'll need a few games that's for sure.”

Both Town and Saturday's opponents Derby have found the First Division less than easy since their relegations last May. Burley feels that it takes time to adjust to the lower league: “It's a different type of game in the First Division from the Premiership. We've found it like that and Derby have lost five games, so they haven't found it easy either. Sometimes it can take time. When you look at their squad they haven't lost anybody from last season, but it's never easy to adapt.”

“They've certainly got a number of quality players and they'll be looking to get a run together like ourselves. And that's what we've got to look for on Saturday, to try to get a run together.

The Town manager was impressed with his side's display against in the Worthington Cup on Tuesday: “I was pleased with our performance against Brighton, we got a win under our belts. We've had mixed form this season, we've played 11, won five drawn four and lost two, but we've got to find consistency in games to push us up the league.

“I said before the Brighton game that we had to show the desire straight from the kick-off, and the passion. I think we did that and we've got to build from there and try and get a good win to push us up the table.

“I still believe we've got a squad of players capable of getting promotion this season, but we've got to show the consistency and the appetite to win matches.”

Despite the injuries Burley says the side which lines-up on Saturday will see few changes from the winning team from Tuesday. That means the strike partnership of Pablo Couñago and Darren Bent is likely to continue: “Tuesday's team will be the nucleus of the side on Saturday. We've got to see who is available, but certainly some of our play I felt was excellent, especially our forward play in the first half. You couldn't hope to see three better goals than the three in that 45 minutes.

“We've been looking for that balance up front, and Pablo and Darren Bent on Tuesday took their opportunity to show that they be a very lethal partnership. That's what you need, players to come in and show that they can do it, and we've got Marcus Bent and Alun Armstrong pushing to get in the team as well.

“It's getting the right balance and it's up to the players who are getting picked to show what they can do.

”Fabian Wilnis is another player who has been desperate to get in the team, and in the last three or four games he's done well, so he's got to show that consistency and quality. He knows that Chris Makin will be fit in two or three weeks, but that's what squads are all about. We need the consistency individually as well as in the team which we maybe haven't had this season.

“ I thought there were a lot of bright signs against Brighton. It's been mixed form so far, at times this season we've played very well, but at other times we've been poor. Every game we've had more possession than the other team, but that doesn't win you games.

“I feel that we need more penetrating balls and need to get the ball forward earlier to hurt teams. There's no doubt that teams get men behind the ball and make it difficult for us. We've got to put pressure earlier on teams and win games that way.”

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