Beckford missed Friday night's FA Cup tie against Northampton Town with a hip injury but the striker completed a full training session yesterday and is ready to lead United's bid to reach the quarter-finals of the Carling Cup.

Leeds will clash with Derby at Pride Park in round four of the competition tonight – the furthest stage reached by the Elland Road club for seven years – and manager Gary McAllister is preparing to launch his 13-goal forward against County's beleaguered backline.

Derby are without their experienced centre-back pairing of Dean Leacock and Martin Albrechtsen through injury, and boss Paul Jewell hinted over the weekend that he might be forced to enter the loan market to improve his defensive options.

Beckford is in the middle of a barren run after five appearances without a goal, but he is on course to match the 20-goal haul he produced last season and his return is a major boost for McAllister, who is attempting to steer Leeds into the last eight for the first time since 1996.

"Jermaine's responded to treatment," said McAllister. "He's been in all hours over the weekend.

"He joined in training (yesterday) morning and he looked sharp so we're pleased to have him back in the fold."

Beckford produced his last strike against Brighton in a League One match a month ago, but McAllister will hope that his return will help to improve United's precision in front of goal.

Leeds were held to a 1-1 draw by Northampton in the first round of the FA Cup on Friday, despite producing 30 shots on goal, but McAllister believes his side have the confidence and the ability to overcome Championship opposition for the second time in this season's Carling Cup and take their place in the quarter-finals tonight.

United have already eliminated Chester City, Crystal Palace and Hartlepool United from the competition, and McAllister said: "This is a cracking learning curve for the youngsters – and for some of the experienced players.

"They can test themselves against a team from a higher division, and that's the best type of test. The top four clubs (Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal) are still in the competition so the incentive is there for us. Getting through this tie against Derby will give us a chance of pulling one of the big boys. That's what everybody's craving for here.

"I'm a big fan of cup competitions because I think they breed confidence. They create a little bit of a buzz in the city, and we want to keep our season going on all fronts.

"The big thing that lets me do that is our squad. It's enabled me to give people who are on the fringes a feel of competitive football, but there's a chance to get into the last eight now and we're looking to pick a strong side every time we play."

Alan Sheehan returned to first-team training alongside Beckford yesterday after a month-long lay-off with a torn hamstring, but McAllister indicated that the left-back will not be considered for selection tonight.