Derby Revitalised Under McClaren - Pemberton

The assistant head coach believes the re-appointment of Steve McClaren in October was the spark behind the Rams’ promotion charge.

With Nigel Pearson at the helm, Derby had won just twice in the league up until the October international break.

Since McClaren returned to the East Midlands club, Derby haven’t looked back, losing only four times to move to within three points of the play-offs.

“Steve has done a great job since he’s gone in there,” Pemberton told Bristol City Player HD.

“He’s revitalised Derby and they’ll want to continue to push on and challenge for a top-six spot. We know all about their strengths and weaknesses.

“We know it will be a tough test because they’ve got good players and they play good football. But we’ve got good players as well and we can be a match for anyone if we perform to our maximum.”

City have a fully-fit squad to choose from heading to Pride Park.

Pemberton added: “The Derby game will be very different to the Rotherham one. We’ll need to keep our shape and be solid out of possession.”