Nahki Wells is confident Huddersfield Town can put the distraction of Chris Powell’s sacking behind them ahead of tomorrow’s Yorkshire derby with Leeds United at John Smith’s Stadium.

Powell was fired as manager on Wednesday, and has since been replaced by David Wagner, the former Borussia Dortmund II coach. Alex Dyer, Powell’s assistant, has also left the club.

“It [Powell’s sacking] comes at a tough time for us,” Wells said. “I recall us playing Leeds before when their manager was sacked, and they got a big reaction and they beat us.

“Hopefully that is what this disappointment can turn into in terms of it getting us up and ready for the clash.”

Mark Lillis, the academy manager, will be in temporary charge for tomorrow’s derby before Wagner takes over managerial duties on Monday.

“It’s a must-win game, and we’re at home, and I’d like to think that our season has been slightly better than theirs, even though they have just overtaken us in the table by a point,” said Wells, who scored his fourth goal of the season in his team’s 2-2 draw away to Reading on Tuesday.

Derbies always seem to bring something extra out of the players and Wells expects tomorrow’s clash to be no exception.

“It’s like any other derby,” he said. “It’s going to be a tough one; a good crowd of 20-plus thousand possibly that will bring loads and we will be up for it.

“We need to gather ourselves. We have one or two suspensions and injuries so our squad is quite thin.

“We had two debutants in our side [against Reading], so it’s not the best of times for us. But that comes with no excuses. It’s time to knuckle down and I think the experienced lads are going to have to step up and do what’s best.”

Meanwhile, Dean Hoyle, the Huddersfield Town chairman, hopes Wagner can bring some of Dortmund’s exciting style of football to Yorkshire.

The former United States international guided the German club’s reserve side to promotion in the third tier of German football in 2012, and represents a departure from the traditional manager that Huddersfield have opted for in the past.

“It is new departure for us. He [Wagner] will be head coach, he is the club’s first from outside the UK and Ireland and he brings a new approach and new ideas,” Hoyle said.

The Huddersfield chairman hopes that Wagner’s previous success at Dortmund will rub off on his club.

“Although the players are different, there are few fans who have watched that style in action and not found it enthralling to watch,” Hoyle said. “I believe that will excite our fans.

“His approach is a winning one, and he is up for the challenge of making Huddersfield Town a success on the pitch in the Sky Bet Championship.”