Nigel Clough knows Derby County will have attacking options in abundance when Burton Albion visit Pride Park on Saturday (3pm).
Clough is ready to come up against the side with whom he spent four-and-a-half-years, with the Rams revitalised following the appointment of former Brewers manager Gary Rowett in March.
Rowett needs no introduction to Burton fans after he guided Albion to appearances in the League Two play-off semi-finals and final back in 2013 and 2014 respectively, and helped build the foundations for the club's meteoric rise since, before leaving for Birmingham City in 2015.
Derby and Rowett look to have finally settled on a settled XI following a summer of upheaval, with no fewer than six players brought in and nine players out of the door.
The likes of Matej Vydra and David Nugent have seen a resurgence under Rowett, with Vydra netting an impressive 11 goals so far this term and Nugent creating the space for the Czech Republic international to thrive.
Two losses in 12 games, the most recent of those a 1-0 reverse to Ipswich Town on Tuesday night, tells the story of a manager that has found a winning formula - although he did hint post-match that he could make changes ahead of Saturday's match after the defeat to the Tractor Boys.
"I think he's got his settled side, and with one or two little changes within that," Clough said of Rowett.
"The back-four seems to be settled.
"There's (Joe) Ledley and (Tom) Huddlestone just in front of them, he's got two players with Premier League experience.
"And then it's the next four, really, that are making the difference.
"When you've got £20m-odd worth of talent in those positions, even when you're not playing that well, you're capable of getting a result in the Championship.
"A few weeks ago Tom Lawrence was having a particularly good spell, maybe he's gone quiet and now all of a sudden Vydra steps up.
"And if he goes quiet, then you've got Nugent to deal with, and if he goes quiet then Andreas Weimann can get a goal.
"It's that as well, they’re not reliant upon one person.
"They do have four or five very good and potentially dangerous players in that position."
On Vydra, Clough is as qualified as one can be to discuss the qualities of a striker having bagged more than 100 goals for the Rams' arch-rivals Nottingham Forest.
So how do Clough's Burton go about stopping one of the in-form players of the Championship, then?
"It's just that you've got to try to deny him space and try to deny getting the ball to him," added Clough.
"But when a player's in that sort of form - he's one of those who can score goals from a nothing situation.
"I think of the one at Fulham more than anything.
"Derby were under the cosh and all of a sudden a little one two and he pokes one in and they get a great point away from home.
"I think that’s the sort of thing you have to be aware of with him."
