HE has been far less active than he would have liked, but Derby boss Gary Rowett expects he will be in for a hectic end to the transfer window.

Rowett brings his Rams to the Macron tomorrow with attacking midfielder/forward Tom Lawrence likely to make his debut for the club following his move from Leicester.

“We’re moving as quickly as we can,” Rowett said. “We want to reinvigorate and get a different feel in the squad.

“People would say things still feel very similar and that’s because we haven’t been able to do as much work in the transfer market as we’d have liked.

“I still believe there will be a hectic spell to this window. It has been frustrating but it’s not an easy market.

“I don’t want to be saying the same things in two months’ time, that people have been saying for two or three years – we want to try to change things and to look different.”

Rowett has lost the services of Will Hughes, who has joined Watford, and last season’s top scorer Tom Ince, who will also play Premier League football this season with newly-promoted Huddersfield Town.

Cyrus Christie and Abdoul Camara have also left Pride Park but the manager has brought in Premier League experience with Hull duo Tom Huddlestone and Curtis Davies, as well as right-back Andre Wisdom, who has tasted top-flight and Europa League action with Liverpool.

But all visiting supporters’ eyes will be on Lawrence when, as is expected, he will make his first outing in a Derby shirt.

Rowett clearly feels he has bought wisely in investing in the player who found the net 11 times for Ipswich and had assists for a further 10 goals last season, and who comes with a glowing recommendation from Ipswich manager Mick McCarthy.

“He had a bright season at Portman Road and at 23 we feel he is someone that can add real value to our team,” he said.

“He has real energy and a verve about him.

“Tom is prepared to take people on and is a throwback to an old winger; he wants to beat people and make things happen.

“He is very direct and he can score some fine goals from nothing, which we saw last year.

“If Mick says someone is a decent player then you know he is a decent player because Mick has been around the block.

“Mick was gushing about Tom and said he was fantastic for them last season.”

While Phil Parkinson has been hampered at every turn of his construction job in the off-season, he remains confident the squad he has at his disposal is well-equipped to cope with players making switches for seven-figure sums.

“We’ve got players who are getting better, as a team we’re getting better and we’ve now got a huge game at the weekend,” he said.

“Of course it’s important to get those first three points on the board, we’re fighting for it and we couldn’t have done much more at Birmingham to get them.”

Meanwhile, Wanderers’ under-18s have been drawn away to Wigan in the Lancashire FA Professional Youth Cup.

Nicky Spooner’s side will face their Latics counterparts on Tuesday, August 29, kicking off at 1pm.

Elsewhere, Preston will host Fleetwood and Accrington Stanley play Rochdale.

Blackpool, Burnley, Bury, Morecambe and Oldham Athletic have been handed byes.