Return Delights St. Ledger

A hamstring injury had kept the 28-year-old on the sidelines, but after coming on as a late replacement for Ritchie De Laet against Sheffield Wednesday, St. Ledger made his first start for five months in the 1-1 draw away at Cardiff City in midweek.

The former Peterborough and Preston North End man is now targeting three points against The Rams before linking up with his international team-mates for a double-header of World Cup Qualifier matches against Sweden and Austria.

“It’s great [to be back]. It’s never quite the same when you’re in the changing room and not involved,” St. Ledger told .

“To be sitting there in the knowledge that you’re starting is a great feeling. It was at right back so that was a bit different for me, but having been out so long I would have played anywhere.

“When you’re out injured it’s hard to stay positive all the time, but the manager has been brilliant with me. The physios and everyone at the club and training ground has been great and I’d have to say thank you to everyone for the work they have done.

“But I’m a pretty lively character anyway so I wouldn’t say there were too many down moments.”

The late draw against Cardiff City was a difficult one to take after such a good performance, but St. Ledger was keen to focus on the positives going into what will be a crucial clash against The Rams at Pride Park.

On the Cardiff game St. Ledger added: “We created chances and hit the post, but it wasn’t to be.

“We scored a last minute goal against Leeds and they might have said we didn’t deserve that. I think in football you earn your own luck sometimes.

“Maybe over the season Cardiff have not got some decisions, but they’ve put the ball in the box and it’s a great header so credit to them and before the game if you’d had said 1-1 away to Cardiff we’d have taken it.

“I don’t think confidence is low at the moment. We have been on an up and down run though, but I think at the moment when you have nine games left and we’re at the business end of things, the thing that matters is the three points regardless of how you play.

“If they (Derby) score an own goal or you get a lucky penalty it doesn’t matter. We want to get into the automatic places and win promotion and that’s what we’ll try to do.

“We’re not too far away in terms of miles [from Derby] but it is a huge game.

“There are three points there to be won regardless of who it’s against. For the fans it’s huge, and for the players it’s a big game too.

“Every player goes into the game giving 100% and sometimes in local derbies it’s just a case of keeping your temperament.”