One Derby County player has been challenged to establish his claim to a start for the club.
The Rams will be trying to put an end to a very poor road trip when they meet Millwall.
Derby County have lost all four away games in the 2024/25 Championship season, but it has been an overly upbeat campaign thus far because to Paul Warne’s side’s great form at Pride Park.
It is apparent that the way Warne sets his team up on the road often puts them under pressure, and as a result, the defence must be tuned on to guarantee that they can neutralize the additional threat posed by the opposition attack.
As a result, Warne will face difficult selections over his defensive lineup, and one vital player who would be expected to be in and around the side is Nat Phillips, but the Derby County manager has stated that it isn’t as simple as bringing the player straight in.
Paul Warne sets challenge for Nat Phillips after lack of Derby County gametime
Derby County’s backline has seen both Eiran Cashin and Curtis Nelson play vital defensive roles, and it would be extremely harsh to dismiss either after their recent performances.
Nelson, in particular, was magnificent in the victory over QPR, and such a performance cannot be followed by his being dropped.
As a result of Warne’s latest comments, Phillips may not be in line for his second start for Derby County this season, as stated on the Club’s YouTube channel: “What has also happened which pleased me, like Nat [Phillips] has not played many minutes yet, but I have not brought him in not to play, but he has to get in.”
“Whether that has increased the standard of the two or three other centre halves, I don’t know, but the actual standard in training has improved a lot.”
Nat Phillips must be patient at Derby County
Phillips has clearly arrived with all of the credentials to be a good defender at Championship level, and it is surprising that he has only made one start so far.
However, Warne’s position is completely correct at this time, and neither Cashin nor Nelson deserve to be benched.
As a result, Phillips must be patient and wait for this opportunity, which will most likely come after the consecutive away games, and once he is given it, there is no doubt that he will seize it with both hands.
