Manager Nigel Clough is pleased that Paul Green will remain a Derby player for the remainder of the season.

Green, who will be out of contract in the summer, was the subject of transfer speculation throughout January and was heavily linked with a move away from Pride Park.

The 28-year-old midfielder was not included in the Derby squad to face Barnsley at Oakwell on Tuesday night, but the transfer deadline passed with Green still a Ram.

"It was impossible to include Paul in the squad in case something came up, which I hinted at when I spoke to the press on Monday," said Clough following his side's 3-2 defeat to the Tykes.

"If something had come up after we had played against Barnsley, we would have had only around an hour and that wasn't going to be long enough to get things done or even react from our point of view.

"We are happy to have Paul with us for the rest of the season and he will come into contention again for the weekend."