NEW signing Michael Keane could go head-to-head with his twin brother if he is handed his Derby County debut this weekend.
The 20-year-old defender has joined the Rams on loan from Premier League champions Manchester United in a deal that was completed just before yesterday's 5pm transfer deadline.
He is set to go straight into the Rams squad to face FA Cup holders Wigan Athletic at the DW Stadium on Sunday.
And he could end up facing sibling and United team-mate Will – a striker – who sealed a loan switch to Wigan yesterday.
Derby's Keane enjoyed a successful spell with Leicester City last season.
He made 27 appearances for the Foxes, all of them starts, scoring three goals and helping Nigel Pearson's side reach the Championship play-offs.
The highly-rated centre-back has made three first-team outings for parent club United, all of them coming in the League Cup.
Keane, an FA Youth Cup winner in 2011, is a current England Under-21 international colleague of Derby midfielder Will Hughes, as well as fellow loanee Andre Wisdom.
He has scored in his past two matches for Gareth Southgate's side, in European Championship qualifying wins against Finland and San Marino.
Former Derby manager Nigel Clough tried to sign Keane just before he was sacked following the defeat at Nottingham Forest in September.
His successor, Steve McClaren, has rekindled the deal, with the help of new head of football operations Chris Evans.
Keane's arrival bolsters McClaren's defensive options heading into the busy Christmas period – Derby have seven games during the month of December.
Mark O'Brien is back in action following a long-term knee injury but club captain Shaun Barker remains sidelined and Zak Whitbread, on loan from Leicester City, has been struggling with a calf problem that has kept him out of the past four matches.
McClaren has been keen for his side to improve, defensively, and they have shown signs of that, claiming successive clean sheets in wins against Sheffield Wednesday and Bournemouth, with a back four of Wisdom, skipper Richard Keogh, Jake Buxton and Craig Forsyth.
