Derby County will be looking to continue their League Cup fairytale when they meet Chelsea at Stamford Bridge at the end of the month.

However, it appears as though Frank Lampard will be returning to his former club without two of his key players.

According to a report by The London Evening Standard, it is understood that Chelsea will tell the Rams that they can not play either Mason Mount or Fikayo Tomori in the cup tie.

The duo, who joined the Championship outfit in the summer on season-long loan deals, have excelled under Lampard so far and played key roles in the previous round when they knocked out Manchester United.

However, rules of the competition do state that players can not appear against their parent clubs unless they are given permission – something that appears to be unlikely.

The Verdict:

Derby will be disappointed that they can not call upon two of their star men for the upcoming clash with Chelsea in the tournament.

It would have been a great occasion for the duo, as they would have been able to get a sense of what it would be like to play in front of the Stamford Bridge crowd and give Maurizio Sarri a closer look at how they are developing.

However, the Blues will want to win the tournament and will be wary of Lampard making a return to the club and knocking them out of the competition.

Derby fans – thoughts?