Nigel Clough hopes to include Nathan Tyson in the Derby squad.
Tyson, troubled by a groin injury since arriving at Pride Park from midlands rivals Nottingham Forest in the summer, felt some discomfort in the area during the first half of the home victory over West Ham on New Year's Eve and was replaced by fellow forward Theo Robinson.
He travelled to Hull 48 hours later, but it was decided he should sit out the game as a precautionary measure.
"We are pretty hopeful Nathan will be in the squad. He wasn't too far away from being in the squad at Hull on Monday and that's why we took him up there with us," said Clough.
"We gave him until the very last minute but he was still feeling some discomfort. We hope, with a few days to rest up, that he will be ready and raring to go on Saturday because he was instrumental in our back-to-back home wins over Leeds and West Ham and we'd love to get him out there
again."
On-loan striker Tamas Priskin, on the bench at the KC Stadium, has returned to Ipswich. Midfielder Jeff Hendrick (ankle) and striker Steve Davies (skull fracture) have resumed training but this game will come too soon for them to be involved.
Crystal Palace hope to welcome back Paddy McCarthy and Julian Speroni.
Skipper McCarthy and goalkeeper Speroni were ruled out of Monday's 2-1 defeat by Leicester due to a virus which hit the club and forced boss Dougie Freedman to send his squad home from training.
McCarthy's central defensive partner Anthony Gardner also missed out against the Foxes with a tight thigh muscle and will be checked over along with full-back Dean Moxey, who is close to recovering from a knee injury.
Freedman has signed young Sunderland centre-half John Egan on a month's loan as cover and he is eligible to play in the cup.
Jon Williams (broken leg) and Alex Marrow (ankle) are still out.
