Robbie Savage is not guaranteed a starting place (Getty)

Derby County manager Paul Jewell has warned his players that no-one is guaranteed a place in the Rams starting line-up this season.

Jewell has signed 11 new players so far this summer but has stressed that he will pick players on form.

"Whoever the player is, the new or old players, everyone starts afresh this season, there's no given that anyone will play," he told BBC Radio Derby.

"That goes for Sav (Robbie Savage), Tyrone Mears, it goes for everybody."

Jewell signed Savage in January and made him captain but the former Blackburn man has so far failed to make an impact on the field at Pride Park.

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The Rams manager said: "Sav has had a lot of publicity since he's been here. It was difficult for him last season coming into a team that was out of its depth.

"Sav took a lot of criticism and a lot of it I felt was unfair.

"It's Robbie Savage and it comes with the territory but its no different to anyone else, if Rob is playing well he's got a chance of being in the team."

Derby have a quartet of recognised strikers in the squad, all of which have been signed by Jewell and that is an area where the Rams manager has been especially keen to create competition.

Jewell added: "I've got four strikers now in Emanuel Villa, Nathan Ellington, Rob Hulse and Liam Dickinson and nobody is guaranteed a place in the team. You want the people in form and hungry enough, who show me that in training and in games."