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Breaking News: Cisse Signs & Starts For Rams Against Wednesday

All the talk of who will fill Eustace’s role in the team today has been made redundant, as Steve McClaren pulled a late surprise by signing midfielder Kalifa Cisse on a non-contract basis.

At 29 years of age, the Mali international who most recently pulled on a shirt for Reading & Bristol, has been training with the Rams while McClaren considered offering him a deal.

Earlier in the week it looked as if the chance had passed Cisse bye but as the week progressed it seem a back flip may possibly be on the cards.

Despite the change of heart and a short term deal in place, not many fans would have suspected both a late deal would be struck and Cisse would then be the man to fill the defensive midfield role against Wednesday.

Speaking to the DET, Paul Simpson explained why the decision was made:

"We decided that Kalifa Cisse was the best option for this game," said Rams coach Paul Simpson. "We spent the last couple of days trying to get international clearance from the American Football Federation and, thankfully, we received that late last night, which allowed Kalifa to sign a short-term contract.”

"With Eustace suspended, he will slot straight into that position — a position that he has played many times before and is his strongest. He is over six foot, will add extra power to the group and we will definitely need that, because we are expecting an aerial onslaught from Sheffield Wednesday.”

"We were in a fortunate position because we had the option to put Adam Smith at right-back and have Andre Wisdom in the defensive midfield role but I think it is important to have a settled side, so nothing else gets disrupted.”

Cisse will have his big chance going straight into the starting 11 and will know that if he has any chance of making a long term at the Rams, it will only come by putting in a great shift today.

Good luck Kalifa from all at RamZone — give it all you’ve got lad!

The Rams Starting Line Up: Grant, Wisdom, Keogh, Buxton, Forsyth, Cisse, Bryson, Hughes, Ward, Dawkins, Martin.

Subs: Morch, Freeman, Smith, Davies, Jacobs, Sammon, Bennett.




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