John Eustace could surprise us all at 11:30am by dropping forward for ‘terrific’ ace looking to impress in Derby County vs Luton Town

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Luton Town travel to face John Eustace’s Derby County at lunchtime in front of the Sky Sports cameras.

Luton have it all to do in terms of securing their Championship status and avoiding double relegations, while Derby are hoping to survive in their first season back in the second tier after promotion last season.

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
17	Oxford UnitedOxford United	42	12	12	18	43	60	-17	48
18	Stoke CityStoke City	42	11	14	17	43	54	-11	47
19	PortsmouthPortsmouth	42	12	10	20	50	66	-16	46
20	Hull CityHull City	42	11	12	19	41	50	-9	45
21	DerbyDerby	42	11	10	21	44	54	-10	43
22	CardiffCardiff	42	9	15	18	45	66	-21	42
23	LutonLuton	42	10	10	22	37	63	-26	40
24	PlymouthPlymouth	42	9	13	20	44	82	-38	40

The supercomputers have spoken and are backing the Rams to survive at Luton’s expense. Safety will be in sight if they secure victory against Luton, and many experts are expecting them to.

A physical game is to be expected with set-pieces a crucial aspect to the game plan of both teams of late, with Matt Bloomfield’s time to be the man and turn things around now after replacing Rob Edwards by claiming victory at Pride Park.

• READ MORE: EFL experts outline why Luton Town defeat was ‘hugely damaging’ to survival hopes, they let Blackburn dictate the game

John Eustace must start Kenzo Goudmijn and sacrifice a Derby attacker in the process

Championship survival is the main talking point for both sets of fans going into the game, which is a fixture Derby often come out on top in. They have had a remarkable revival under Eustace thus far and will look to continue it here.

The Rams have a long list of players currently spending time in the treatment room, which is particularly bad timing with so few games remaining in the Championship relegation race.

With Easter Weekend having two games in four days and little time for rest and recuperation, Derby are likely to need to rotate. In that sense, a horses for courses style approach is required depending on the opponent they face.

Luton’s size and physicality calls for players of that nature to match them up in that sense, and plenty of energy and fight. Luton caused Leeds United some issues recently regarding winning the midfield battle and second balls, so perhaps John Eustace will be minded to add an extra body in that area.

Kenzo Goudmijn is more of a creative No.8 or No.10 in the middle of the pitch, but he also brings a degree of athleticism and intensity in an area of the pitch which may need it more from the start. That therefore means sacrificing one of the front three to accommodate him.

Dropping one of Marcus Harness or Nathaniel Mendez-Laing and utilising them from the bench late on feels like the way to go — at least from the start of the game to add extra cover in the middle with two forwards up front ahead of him.

Out of possession, he will provide a bit more steel than an extra attacker, while his dribbling and carrying in possession can help to break lines. He has been misused for much of the season but Eustace requires rotation and this is a game which suits him more than an away trip to West Brom.

• READ MORE: Derby County star just landed himself an awful Championship record, and it happened in the cruellest possible way

Kenzo Goudmijn is ‘terrific’ according to Derby’s Callum Elder

Goudmijn hasn’t started a game since February 22, but the ex-AZ Alkmaar midfielder has picked up 29 starts from his 40 appearances since moving to England. He has been a bright spark in their season in flashes, with more moments of inspiration now required to get the Rams over the line.

One teammate was particularly vociferous in their praise of him back in September, with Callum Elder explaining to the Derby official website that he thinks Goudmijn is truly ‘terrific’ — and not just as a player, but also as a person.

“He’s a terrific footballer; he takes the ball in any area, and in tight areas, he has good feet,” said Elder.

“Above all that, he’s a terrific lad. He’s settled into the group really well and the lads have welcomed him with open arms, and he’s felt that — and I think you can see in his performances he feels settled in here.

“He feels settled in as a player and as a person. So, we’re delighted to have him. He’s a terrific player,” he added. Derby fans will want to see both that side of his character and his quality, with Luton the perfect opportunity for Goudmijn to perhaps be the hero to ensure survival.