JAMIE Ward is back in the Derby County starting line-up for Wednesday night's Championship clash with Middlesbrough (7.45pm).
Ward missed Sunday's 3-1 win at Wigan Athletic due to a knee injury but is fit to return to face Boro at Pride Park Stadium.
The Northern Ireland international replaces Johnny Russell in the only change to the side that started against Wigan.
Russell drops to the bench, where he takes the place of Ben Davies.
"I said at the weekend what a nice position we were in to have the likes of Johnny Russell to replace Jamie Ward," said Rams coach Paul Simpson.
"But now Jamie has come through three days of training, we are happy with what we have seen from him and we are delighted to welcome him back.
"He was in really good form before he picked up that injury at Bournemouth and we hope he picks up where he left off."
New Middlesbrough boss Aitor Karanka makes two changes to the side that won 1-0 at home to Bolton Wanderers at the weekend.
Midfielder Dean Whitehead comes in for the suspended Grant Leadbitter, while Curtis Main is preferred to Mustapha Carayol, who drops to the bench.
DERBY COUNTY: Grant, Wisdom, Keogh, Buxton, Forsyth, Eustace, Hughes, Bryson, Dawkins, Ward, Martin. Subs: Legzdins (gk), Keane, Cisse, Hendrick, Russell, Sammon, Bennett.
MIDDLESBROUGH: Given, Friend, Williams, Gibson, Woodgate, Whitehead, Butterfield, Adomah, Smallwood, Main, Kamara. Subs: Konstantopoulos, Ayala, Richardson, Varga, Emnes, Ledesma, Carayol.
REFEREE: A Madley (West Yorkshire).
