For Rovers haven't played at this level since being relegated from the old Second Division at the end of the 1957-58 season.

Tomorrow's game will have special significance for many older supporters, not least chairman John Ryan who pledged to take the club back to the second tier of English football when taking charge a decade ago.

But manager Sean O'Driscoll is adopting a more pragmatic approach.

"It is a 46-game season so you can't really just focus on one game when we've got a difficult season to prepare for," he said.

Derby boss Paul Jewell has been more active than most during the close season and has brought in eleven new faces as he seeks to inspire County to rise like a phoenix from the ashes following last season's disastrous Premiership campaign.

O'Driscoll brushed aside concerns that the influx of players at Pride Park had made it difficult for him to get his tactics right.

"I've watched them in a couple of pre-season games and I don't think that he (Paul Jewell) has got that many players to be honest," he said.

"You can pick out the vast majority of his side. He has got a problem wide right as a result of a deal falling through.

"They are a team with huge expectation and huge investment and they'll be difficult to beat on their home patch, which we expect to be the case in every Championship game."

Asked whether Rovers were catching the Rams at the right time in view of all the new faces, O'Driscoll said: "I'll let you know at twenty to five."

He added: "When you look at their team they have got a wealth of experience. They have just spent over £1.5 million this week on striker Rob Hulse.

"With Nathan Ellington having joined them (on loan from Watford), their attack is as good as anything in this division."

One of the newcomers in the Derby ranks who will be no stranger to Rovers fans tomorrow is midfielder Paul Green.

"In the games that I've seen, he has been their best player so I would imagine that he is relishing it," said theboss.

"He had been here a long time and it was a great move for him and probably came at the right time of his career.

"I would imagine that he is looking forward to meeting everybody and to playing.

Rovers, who will be without several players including the suspended Paul Heffernan and new signing Darren Byfield, who is recovering from a groin operation, were due to give a late fitness test to skipper Adam Lockwood today.

Doncaster Rovers: Preview for the season, including ins and outs and squad numbers. Don't miss Saturday's Green'Un newspaper

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