**Derby's injury crisis meets Birmingham's draw-prone struggles** — this East Midlands clash is shaping up as a scrappy affair where whoever avoids self-sabotage wins. 🏴󐁧󐁢󐁥󐁮󐁧󐁿

Derby are hemorrhaging bodies and form (three losses in five), while Birmingham can't seem to close out games (two draws in their last five). The hosts have a slight fixture advantage, but **the absences are brutal** — five missing players, including key defenders. Birmingham, relatively healthier, should fancy their chances.

Key storylines:

- **Derby's injury list keeps growing**: C. Forsyth, D. Murkin, M. Clarke, P. Agyemang, and S. Szmodics all sidelined. Depth is being tested hard at Pride Park.
- **Birmingham's curse of the draw**: Two draws in five and they've leaked 10 goals in those five games — they're either suffocating or leaky, no in-between.
- **H2H favors Derby slightly**: 11 wins to 7 in the last 29 meetings, but form says take that with a pinch of salt right now.

Expected lineups:

- **Derby County**: J. W. Zetterström, C. Taylor, S. K. Langås, D. Sanderson, B. Clark, A. Mowatt, R. Hedges, F. Bilbija, L. Salvesen, C. Morris
- **Birmingham City**: J. Beadle, L. Buchanan, C. Klarer, P. Neumann, T. Iwata, C. Vicente, A. Priske, J. Stansfield, L. Vázquez, B. Bateman

Prediction:

**1-1** — coin flip between two teams struggling to hit top gear. The draw feels oddly fitting. 🤝

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