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Championship: Derby's Jake Buxton and Paul Coutts on comeback trail

Image: Jake Buxton: Featured in a private friendly against Burnley

Derby defender Jake Buxton and midfielder Paul Coutts have made a return from injury.

Both players, recently sidelined by hip-flexor problems, featured in a private friendly against Burnley at the Rams' Moor Farm training ground on Tuesday afternoon.

Buxton has been out since the draw against Nottingham Forest at the City Ground on September 14 but the centre-half got 65 minutes under his belt in a 2-1 victory for a strong Derby side that included Ryan Shotton, Omar Mascarell, Johnny Russell and Leon Best.

Coutts has not played a competitive first-team game in a year having missed seven months of last season with a dislocated kneecap and he managed 45 minutes.

During the game, which also saw young goalkeeper Kelle Roos return from injury, Best put Derby ahead after 15 minutes and substitute Shaquille McDonald doubled the lead seven minutes from time. Burnley pulled a goal back with a last-minute penalty.

A trialist, former SC Heerenveen winger Jeroen Lumu, 19, played on the left for the Rams.

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