Porter Has Faith In Rams Frontline

After a season where Derby County`s strikers suffered more than their fair share of injuries and changes of personnel Chris Porter is confident The Rams frontline can deliver the goods this year. Rob Hulse was leading scorer last season with twelve goals with defender Shaun Barker his closest challenger on five as Nigel Clough`s side scored only 53 goals in their 46 Championship games struggling to hit the net for most of the season.

Clough has already brought in Tomasz Cywka from Wigan Athletic to bolster his striking options and with Luke Varney returning from his loan at Sheffield Wednesday Derby now have six forwards on the books. It is likely that at least one will leave before the transfer windows closes again but Porter believes the group of strikers that reported back for pre-season training can find their form telling the Derby Evening Telegraph:

'I don't know if any more strikers will come in or any will go but at the minute the strikers we have are all good players and there is very healthy competition up front. We must have one of the best strike forces in the Championship."

Porter himself missed large chunks of last season and has not had the best time with injuries since arriving at Pride Park. He picked up a hip injury in March 2009 which sidelined him in the run-in that season and it flared up again last summer leaving him needing an operation meaning he didn`t return to the side until December before being in an and out of the side in the second half of the season. He is amongst a number of Rams` players looking to steer clear of injury this time round and show the fans what he can do, the striker added:

'Pre-season was going well for me last summer. I felt fit and I thought I was playing well before the hip problem returned. That is a bad memory for me, my target for the moment is to stay fit.'

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