Derby County v Preston North End confirmed line-ups: Joe Rafferty and Ched Evans start at Pride Park

The PNE manager went for a 4-3-3 system instead of his favoured 3-5-2 as he shook things up after the 4-0 defeat at Luton Town before the international break.

Joe Rafferty, Patrick Bauer, Liam Lindsay and Ched Evans came into the starting XI at the expense of Sepp van den Berg, Bambo Diaby, Ali McCann and Brad Potts.

It was only a second Championship start of the season for Rafferty, while Bauer and Lindsay returned to the centre of defence. Bauer had been on the bench in the previous two games after recovering from a hip injury.

Lowe started Evans alongside Cameron Archer and Emil Riis in a three-man front line.

Riis had three seasons on Derby’s books as a teenager, playing for their Under-18s and Under-23s sides.

Van den Berg, Potts and McCann dropped to the bench, with Bambo Diaby not making the matchday squad.

The change to 4-3-3 was a rare one, certainly as a starting formation. Lowe occasionally switching to it previously during games.

Derby: Allsop, Byrne, Davis, Chasin, Buchanan, Bird, Plange, Ebiowei, Ebosele, Lawrence, Knight. Subs: Roos, Forsyth, Bielik, Morrison, Stearman, Sibley, Cybulski.

PNE: Iversen, Rafferty, Bauer, Lindsay, Hughes, Whiteman, Browne, Johnson, Archer, Riis, Evans. Subs: Ripley, Van den Berg, McCann, Murphy, Maguire, Sinclair, Potts.

Referee: Geoff Eltringham (County Durham)

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