Derby County aim for an initial victory at their own ground this campaign as they welcome Stoke City to Pride Park this weekend. The Rams occupy 23rd position, having earned only six points from their opening ten fixtures, leaving them two points adrift of safety and without a home win, having recorded two draws and three defeats.
Manager John Eustace faces increasing scrutiny after his team secured just a single victory in their first ten league outings. He is contending with a major shortage of defenders, as Sondre Langas is sidelined for the remainder of the year due to a groin problem. He is among several absentees including Matt Clarke, Eiran Cashin, Max Johnston, Derry Murkin, and Charlie Taylor, with goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterstrom and attacker Patrick Agyemang also unavailable.
Derby's current run features no victories in their previous five games, most recently suffering a 4-1 loss at Queens Park Rangers. Their defensive record this season, having let in 19 goals, is among the three poorest in the division.
Stoke City travel to Derby holding eighth spot, looking to secure a third straight win on the road following successes at Watford and Bolton Wanderers. They have found the net in every one of their ten league contests so far. Derby, though, have performed well historically against Stoke at home, claiming victory in three of the past five encounters, such as a 2-0 win last April. The complete fixtures schedule highlights this match's significance during a busy spell.
Stoke boss Mark Robins stated this week that Ato Ampah faces a lengthy absence following knee surgery. Aaron Cresswell, Svante Ingelsson, and Sam Gallagher are also missing, but Maksym Talovierov should be back after serving a suspension.
Derby County's upcoming opportunity to escape the relegation places is against Stoke City at Pride Park on 17 October.
