Derby County will host Queens Park Rangers (QPR) at Pride Park on Saturday, with both sides looking to recover from recent setbacks. Derby, despite back-to-back defeats, have impressed at home, while QPR are battling a poor run of form and injury concerns.
After consecutive wins against Bristol City and Cardiff, Derby County were brought back down to earth with three straight losses in the Championship. Most recently, they fell 2-0 to Sunderland, with goals from Jobe Bellingham and Wilson Isidor securing the points for the Black Cats.
Despite these defeats, Derby are 14th in the league standings, two points ahead of QPR, and six points behind the playoff spots. They have been strong at home, with all of their nine points this season coming at Pride Park, thanks to wins over Middlesbrough, Bristol City, and Cardiff.
Paul Warne’s side have been forced to share the goalscoring burden after failing to secure a striker in the summer transfer window. So far, Kayden Jackson and Kenzo Goudmijn have both netted two goals each. Derby’s solid home form will give them confidence as they look to get back to winning ways.
QPR: Struggling for Form
QPR come into this match after a disappointing 3-0 home defeat to Hull City on Tuesday night. Goals from Cody Drameh, Chris Bedia, and Liam Millar condemned the R’s to another loss, leaving them languishing in 22nd place in the league table. QPR have won just once this season, a 2-1 victory over Luton Town in late August.
Despite their poor start, there have been small positives for QPR, including the form of Swiss striker Michael Frey, who has scored three goals in his first eight league games. However, the team has struggled with injuries, and head coach Marti Cifuentes will need to make adjustments to tighten up defensively.
QPR’s away form has been better than their overall performance, with five of their seven points coming on the road. This will give them hope of a positive result on Saturday, although they’ll face a tough challenge against Derby’s strong home record.
Team News
Derby were handed an injury scare when Nat Phillips limped off in their last match, but it’s believed the defender was only suffering from cramp and should be available. However, they will still be without central midfielder David Ozoh, who remains sidelined with a hamstring injury, and Tom Barkhuizen, who is out with a calf strain.
QPR may be without Jake Clarke-Salter again, but they received a boost with the return of Ilias Chair and Morgan Fox, both of whom featured in the squad against Hull.
Predicted Lineups
Derby County Starting XI:
Zetterstrom; Wilson, Nelson, Cashin, Phillips; Goudmijn, Osborn, Adams; Mendez-Laing, Blackett-Taylor, Jackson
With three wins from four home matches in the Championship, Derby will feel confident about securing another victory at Pride Park. QPR’s injury woes and poor recent form suggest they may struggle, and a third consecutive defeat could be on the cards for the visitors.
