2026–27 Derby County F.C. season
English football club season
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The 2026–27 season is Derby County's 128th season in the Football League and their 57th in the second tier of English football. It is their third consecutive season being in the Championship. They also compete in the FA Cup and the EFL Cup.
| 2026–27 season | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Owner | David Clowes | ||
| Chairman | David Clowes | ||
| Head Coach | John Eustace | ||
| Stadium | Pride Park Stadium | ||
| Top goalscorer | League: Sammie Szmodics (1) All: Sammie Szmodics (2) | ||
| Highest home attendance | 11,095 vs. Lincoln City 8 August 2026 | ||
| Lowest home attendance | 11,095 vs. Lincoln City 8 August 2026 | ||
| Average home league attendance | 11,095 | ||
| Biggest win | - | ||
| Biggest defeat | 1-2 | ||
|
| |||
Transfers and contracts
In
| Date | Pos. | Player | From | Fee | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First team | |||||
| 22 June 2026 | CM |  Bobby Clark |  Red Bull Salzburg | £6,000,000 | [1][2] |
| 14 July 2026 | LB | Charlie Taylor | Southampton | Free | [3] |
| 22 July 2026 | LW |  Filip Bilbija | Paderborn 07 | [4] | |
| 14 August 2026 | CDM | Alex Mowatt | West Bromwich Albion | £600,000 | [5] |
| 20 August 2026 | RW |  Ryan Hedges | Blackburn Rovers | Free | [6] |
| 2 September 2026 | DM | David Ozoh | Crystal Palace | Undisclosed | [7] |
| 4 September 2026 | GK |  Nicholas Bilokapic | Ipswich Town | Free | [8] |
| Academy | |||||
| 17 July 2026 | LWB | Frankie Jones | Sheffield United | Free | [9] |
| LW | Kean Wren | Everton | [9] | ||
| 13 October 2026 | GK | Eterne Djedje | AFC Wimbledon | [10] | |
| GK |  Alfie Halliwell | Rangers | [10] | ||
Loaned in
| Date | Pos. | Player | From | Loaned until | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First team | |||||
| 31 July 2026 | CAM |  Sammie Szmodics | Ipswich Town | End of Season | [11] |
| 30 August 2026 | CF |  Henrik Meister |  Pisa | End of Season[a] | [12] |
| 1 September 2026 | CB | Eiran Cashin | Brighton & Hove Albion | End of Season | [13] |
| CF |  Mohammed Fuseini |  Union Saint-Gilloise | [14] | ||
| Academy | |||||
- Option to make the move permanent
Loaned out
| Date | Pos. | Player | To | Date until | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First team | |||||
| 6 August 2026 | CF |  Dajaune Brown | Rochdale | End of Season | [15] |
| 3 September 2026 | CAM | Owen Eames | Falkirk | [16] | |
| 8 September 2026 | CM |  Kenzo Goudmijn |  Grasshopper Club Zurich | [17] | |
| Academy | |||||
| 4 August 2026 | GK |  Cristiano Dzialuk | Worcester City | End of Season | [18] |
| 15 August 2026 | RB | Freddie Turley | Dunfermline Athletic | [19] | |
| 27 August 2026 | CB |  Alfie Friars | Leek Town | 24 September 2026 | [20] |
| 28 August 2026 | CAM | Cruz Allen | FC Halifax Town | 31 October 2026[a] | [21][22] |
| 18 September 2026 | LB | Tristan Gill | 17 October 2026 | [23] | |
| 26 September 2026 | GK | Sam Kane | Gloucester City | 21 October 2026 | [24] |
| 3 October 2026 | CB | Alfie Friars | 1874 Northwich | 31 October 2026 | [25] |
| 3 October 2026 | GK | Harley Price | Anstey Nomads | 3 November 2026 | [26] |
- On 29 September, Allen's initial one-month loan at FC Halifax Town was extended for another month.
Out
| Date | Pos. | Player | To | Fee | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First team | |||||
| 5 August 2026 | CM | Liam Thompson | Mansfield Town | Undisclosed | [27] |
| Academy | |||||
Released / Out of Contract
| Date | Pos. | Player | Subsequent club | Joined date | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First team | |||||
| 30 June 2026 | LB | Callum Elder | Lincoln City | 1 July 2026 | [28][29] |
| CB | Jake Rooney | Boston United | 23 July 2026 | [28][30] | |
| CM | Ben Osborn | Stockport County | 27 July 2026 | [28][31] | |
| CB | Danny Batth | Millwall | 2 August 2026 | [32][33] | |
| CF | Andreas Weimann | Cheltenham Town | 14 August 2026 | [28][34] | |
| Academy | |||||
| 30 June 2026 | CB | Dan Cox | Southend United | 1 July 2026 | [28][35] |
| LB | Billy Gough | Alfreton Town | [28][36] | ||
| CM | Jamie Wähling |  Hibernians | 17 July 2026 | [28][37] | |
| CF | Lennon Wheeldon | Boston United | 3 August 2026 | [28][38] | |
| GK | Harry Evans | [28] | |||
| CDM | Harry Hawkins | [28] | |||
| RB | Jack Perry | [28] | |||
New Contract
| Date | Pos. | Player | Contract expiry | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First team | |||||
| Academy | |||||
| 15 May 2026 | CM | Niall McAndrew | 30 June 2027 | [28] | |
| RW | Jerome Richards | [28] | |||
| CB | Keilen Robinson | [28] | |||
| 24 June 2026 | CAM | Cruz Allen | 30 June 2028 | [39] | |
| 17 July 2026 | RW | Sean Corry | Undisclosed[a] | [40] | |
| CB | Alfie Friars | [40] | |||
| RB | Khace Gordon | [40] | |||
| CF | Israel Green | [40] | |||
| CM |  Dantel Hodges | [40] | |||
| CAM | Marley Mintus | [40] | |||
- First professional contract
Pre-season and friendlies
On 20 May, The Rams announced a week-long pre-season training camp in Tyrol, Austria between 18–25 July, with a match against Bundesliga side Freiburg later added.[41][42] On 29 May, the club confirmed a friendly match against Alfreton Town.[43] Six days later, a trip to Rotherham United was announced.[44] On 8 June, the schedule was bolstered with the addition of a trip to face Mansfield Town.[45] Two days, a fixture against Burton Albion in the Bass Charity Vase was announced as part of the pre-season schedule.[46] A behind closed doors meeting with Valencia was also later confirmed.[47]
Win Draw Loss Fixtures
| 17 July 2026 Friendly | Alfreton Town | 0–2 | Derby County | Alfreton |
| 19:00 BST | Report | Stadium: Solana Stadium |
| 24 July 2026 Friendly | Derby County | 1–3 | Freiburg | Imst, Austria |
| 16:00 CEST |
|
Report | Stadium: Velly Arena |
| 28 July 2026 Friendly | Derby County | 1–2 | Valencia | Burton upon Trent |
| 15:00 BST | Report |
|
Stadium: St. George's Park Attendance: 0 (BCD) |
| 31 July 2026 Friendly | Mansfield Town | 1−3 | Derby County | Mansfield |
| 19:00 BST |
|
Report | Stadium: One Call Stadium |
| 1 August 2026 Bass Charity Vase | Burton Albion | 1–0 | Derby County | Burton upon Trent |
| 15:00 BST | Report | Stadium: Pirelli Stadium Attendance: 3,908 (1,200 Derby fans) |
Competitions
Overall record
| Competition | First match | Last match | Starting round | Final position | Record | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % | |||||
| Championship | August 2026 | May 2027 | Matchday 1 | TBC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | +0 | — |
| FA Cup | January 2027 | TBC | Third round | TBC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | +0 | — |
| EFL Cup | August 2026 | August 2026 | First round | First round | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | −1 | 0.00 |
| Total | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | −1 | 0.00 | ||||
Last updated: 8 August 2026
Source: Soccerway
Championship
League table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | Norwich City | 10 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 17 | 20 | −3 | 9 | |
| 21 | Burnley | 11 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 16 | 21 | −5 | 8 | |
| 22 | Watford | 10 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 19 | −11 | 8 | Relegation to EFL League One |
| 23 | Derby County | 10 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 19 | −10 | 6 | |
| 24 | Preston North End | 10 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 8 | 20 | −12 | 4 |
Updated to match(es) played on 16 October 2026. Source: EFL Official Website
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored; 4) Head-to-head results; 5) Wins; 6) Away goals; 7) Penalty points (sec 9.5); 8) Number of 12-point sending off offences; 9) Play-off (only if needed to determine promotion/relegation)[48]
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored; 4) Head-to-head results; 5) Wins; 6) Away goals; 7) Penalty points (sec 9.5); 8) Number of 12-point sending off offences; 9) Play-off (only if needed to determine promotion/relegation)[48]
Results summary
| Overall | Home | Away | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
| 9 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 15 | −7 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 9 | −5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 6 | −2 |
Last updated: 10 October 2026.
Source: Soccerway
Results by round
Matches
On 25 June, the Championship fixtures were revealed.[49]
Win Draw Loss Upcoming fixture
| 15 August 2026 1 | Charlton Athletic | 2–1 | Derby County | Charlton |
| 15:00 BST | Report | Stadium: The Valley Attendance: 21,539 (3,054 away) Referee: Benjamin Speedie |
| 22 August 2026 2 | Derby County | 2–2 | Cardiff City | Derby |
| 15:00 BST | Report | Stadium: Pride Park Stadium Attendance: 28,926 (inc. 2,771 away supporters) Referee: Ruebyn Ricardo |
| 29 August 2026 3 | Derby County | 0–3 | Swansea City | Derby |
| 12:30 BST |
|
Stadium: Pride Park Stadium Attendance: 26,576 Referee: David Webb | ||
| Note: Fixture was initially scheduled for a 15:00 kick-off, but was brought forward for live Sky Sports broadcasting.[50] | ||||
| 1 September 2026 4 | Portsmouth | 0–2 | Derby County | Milton |
| 19:45 BST |
|
Report | Stadium: Fratton Park Attendance: 20,282 (inc. 1,567 Derby fans) Referee: Sam Allison |
| 5 September 2026 5 | West Ham United | 3–0 | Derby County | Stratford |
| 15:00 BST | Report | Stadium: London Stadium Referee: Oli Langford |
| 9 September 2026 6 | Derby County | 0–1 | West Bromwich Albion | Derby |
| 19:45 BST | Report | Stadium: Pride Park Stadium Attendance: 27,323 Referee: James Bell |
| 12 September 2026 7 | Derby County | 1–2 | Birmingham City | Derby |
| 12:30 BST | Report |
|
Stadium: Pride Park Stadium Referee: John Busby | |
| Note: Fixture was initially scheduled for a 15:00 kick-off, but was brought forward for live Sky Sports broadcasting.[50] | ||||
| 19 September 2026 8 | Burnley | 1–1 | Derby County | Burnley |
| 15:00 BST |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Turf Moor Attendance: 19,456 Referee: Stephen Martin |
| 10 October 2026 9 | Derby County | 1–1 | Wrexham | Derby |
| 15:00 BST | Stadium: Pride Park Stadium Attendance: 29,136 Referee: Matt Donohue |
| 14 October 2026 10 | Queens Park Rangers | 4–1 | Derby County | Shepherd's Bush |
| 19:45 BST | Stadium: MATRADE Loftus Road Referee: Matthew Corlett |
| 17 October 2026 11 | Derby County | v | Stoke City | Derby |
| 15:00 BST | Stadium: Pride Park Stadium |
| 24 October 2026 12 | Sheffield United | v | Derby County | Sheffield |
| 12:30 BST | Stadium: Bramall Lane | |||
| Note: Fixture was initially scheduled for a 15:00 kick-off, but was brought forward for live Sky Sports broadcasting.[51] | ||||
| 31 October 2026 13 | Millwall | v | Derby County | Bermondsey |
| 15:00 GMT | Stadium: The Den |
| 3 November 2026 14 | Derby County | v | Norwich City | Derby |
| 19:45 GMT | Stadium: Pride Park Stadium |
| 6 November 2026 15 | Derby County | v | Bolton Wanderers | Derby |
| 20:00 GMT | Stadium: Pride Park Stadium | |||
| Note: Fixture was initially scheduled for 7 November, but was brought forward to the night preceding for live Sky Sports broadcasting.[51] | ||||
| 21 November 2026 16 | Southampton | v | Derby County | Southampton |
| 12:30 GMT | Stadium: St Mary's Stadium | |||
| Note: Fixture was initially scheduled for a 15:00 kick-off, but was brought forward for live Sky Sports broadcasting.[51] | ||||
| 24 November 2026 17 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | v | Derby County | Wolverhampton |
| 20:00 GMT | Stadium: Molineux Stadium | |||
| Note: Fixture was initially scheduled for a 19:45 kick-off, but was pushed back for live Sky Sports broadcasting.[51] | ||||
| 28 November 2026 18 | Derby County | v | Watford F.C. | Derby |
| 15:00 GMT | Stadium: Pride Park Stadium |
| 5 December 2026 19 | Middlesbrough | v | Derby County | Middlesbrough |
| 12:30 GMT | Stadium: Riverside Stadium | |||
| Note: Fixture was initially scheduled for a 15:00 kick-off, but was brought forward for live Sky Sports broadcasting.[51] | ||||
FA Cup
Win Draw Loss Fixtures
EFL Cup
Derby were drawn at home to Lincoln City in the first round.[52]
Win Draw Loss Fixtures
| 8 August 2026 First round | Derby County | 1–2 | Lincoln City | Derby |
| 15:00 BST | Report | Stadium: Pride Park Stadium Attendance: 11,095 (inc. 1,720 away fans) Referee: Josh Smith |
Statistics
Appearances and goals
- As of match played 10 October 2026
Players with no appearances are not included on the list; italics indicate a loaned in player
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Total | Championship | FA Cup | EFL Cup | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||||
| 1 | GK |  SWE |
Jacob Widell Zetterström | 8 | 0 | 7+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 |
| 3 | DF | SCO |
Craig Forsyth | 3 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 |
| 4 | MF | ENG |
David Ozoh | 5 | 0 | 4+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 5 | DF | ENG |
Matthew Clarke | 1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 |
| 6 | DF |  NOR |
Sondre Langås | 10 | 0 | 9+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 |
| 8 | MF | ENG |
Bobby Clark | 10 | 2 | 8+1 | 2 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 |
| 9 | FW | ENG |
Carlton Morris | 6 | 1 | 5+0 | 1 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 |
| 10 | FW | ENG |
Rhian Brewster | 7 | 0 | 2+5 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 11 | MF | IRL |
Sammie Szmodics | 9 | 4 | 7+1 | 3 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 1 |
| 13 | MF | GER |
Filip Bilbija | 3 | 0 | 0+2 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 |
| 15 | FW | NOR |
Lars-Jørgen Salvesen | 9 | 1 | 1+7 | 1 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 |
| 16 | FW | GHA |
Mohammed Fuseini | 5 | 1 | 3+2 | 1 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 18 | DF | ENG |
Charlie Taylor | 9 | 0 | 8+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 |
| 19 | FW | DEN |
Henrik Meister | 4 | 0 | 2+2 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 20 | MF | ENG |
Alex Mowatt | 8 | 0 | 7+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 22 | DF | SCO |
Max Johnston | 6 | 0 | 2+3 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 |
| 23 | MF | ENG |
Joe Ward | 8 | 0 | 4+3 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 |
| 24 | DF |  NAM |
Ryan Nyambe | 3 | 0 | 1+2 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 26 | FW | WAL |
Ryan Hedges | 8 | 0 | 6+2 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 27 | MF | ENG |
Lewis Travis | 4 | 0 | 3+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 |
| 28 | DF | ENG |
Dion Sanderson | 9 | 0 | 8+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 |
| 29 | MF | DEN |
Oscar Fraulo | 8 | 0 | 4+3 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 |
| 31 | GK | ENG |
Josh Vickers | 2 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 33 | FW | ENG |
Corey Blackett-Taylor | 8 | 0 | 2+5 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 |
| 37 | MF | ENG |
Owen Eames | 1 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 44 | DF | IRL |
Eiran Cashin | 2 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |