Football: Weekend guide to the Premiership: Coventry v Derby County

Last season: 1

COVENTRY'S NEW pounds 650,000 signing from Portsmouth, John Aloisi, is expected to be among the substitutes for today's game against Derby at Highfield Road. Aloisi completed his move to the Sky Blues on Thursday, but despite his new side's urgent need for a goalscorer, it looks as though he will have to wait for his first start. Darren Huckerby returns from suspension to play alongside Noel Whelan up front, while Paul Telfer is also back after a one-match ban.

Derby are hoping that their Italian midfielder Stefano Eranio will win his race to be fit for the match. The former Milan player has been a victim of the flu bug currently sweeping the country, but he is expected to start providing he has recovered in time. County's German defender, Stefan Schnoor, is looking doubtful with an ankle injury, but there is some good news for the Rams manager, Jim Smith, as his midfielder Lee Carsley is available again after serving a one-match suspension. The captain, Igor Stimac, is still in Croatia, in an effort to speed-up his recovery from an ankle problem.

COVENTRY CITY (from): Hedman, Nilsson, Shaw, Williams, Edworthy, Telfer, McAllister, Boateng, Froggatt, Huckerby, Whelan, Aloisi, Jackson, Breen, Burrows, Daish, Soltvedt, Shilton, Ogrizovic.

DERBY COUNTY (from): Poom, Prior, Carbonari, Laursen, Delap, Bohinen, Eranio, Powell, Dorigo, Baiano, Wanchope, Sturridge, Hoult, Carsley, Harper, Elliott, Schnoor.

Suspensions: None.

Referee: U Rennie.