It was confirmed on 24 July 2020, that the 2020/21 Championship season - delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic - would start on the weekend beginning the 12th September 2020.[6] When the fixtures were announced on 21 August, it was revealed that Derby would start the season at home to Reading, as they had done in the 2002-03 campaign. Another notable fixture was the 28th November home match vs. Wycombe Wanderers - it will be the first ever competitive meeting between the two sides.[7]

The most significant off-the-field announcement came when it was revealed that the two charges bought upon the club by the EFL, namely the club's valuation associated with the sale of Pride Park Stadium in June 2018 and its amortisation policy associated with intangible fixed assets (players)[8] were dismissed, ensuring the club would avoid a points deduction and fine for the 2020/21 campaign.[9] The EFL later confirmed it would appeal the dismissal of the charge regarding player valuations.[10]

The first new arrival in the playing staff was Mike te Wierik who finally arrived at the club having signed a pre-contract agreement for a three-year stay in February 2020.[11] Ben Hamer's return to parent-club Huddersfield Town, coupled with Scott Carson and Jonathan Mitchell's loan moves to Manchester City and Northampton Town respectively,[12][13] left the club in search of a goalkeeper, with the gap being filled by the acquisition of Scottish international David Marshall from Wigan Athletic.[14] A second significant capture was the return of reigning player of the year Matthew Clarke on a season-long loan from Brighton & Hove Albion.[15] In terms of contracts, George Evans signed a one-year extension to take his stay at the club through to 2022.[16]

After a decade at the club, Mason Bennett left to join Millwall for an undisclosed fee.[17] Scott Malone also moved to The Den on a season-long loan.[17]

The season opened on 5 September with an EFL Cup First Round tie against Barrow, whom Derby had not played competitively in 63 years,[18] with Derby advancing on penalties after a 0–0 draw, with Kelle Roos the hero following three saves in the shoot-out itself.[19] The absence of Jayden Bogle and Max Lowe from the starting line-up lead to rumours about their future and both players subsequently joined Premier League Sheffield United in an undisclosed deal two days later.[20] The ensuing gap left by Bogle was filled with the signing of Wigan Athletic's Nathan Byrne three days later in another undisclosed deal.[21]

Derby lost 2–0 at home to Reading in their opening game of the new campaign (a first opening day defeat for 11 years), before losing 2–1 at home to Preston North End in the EFL Cup second round. a first defeat to Preston in 15 meetings. In the days following the Preston defeat, Derby clinched the signing of Poland international Kamil Jóźwiak from Lech Poznań [22] and announced Max Bird and Louie Sibley had signed new deals with the club which would take them through to the end of the 2023–24 season.[23] Jóźwiak's debut came three days after signing as he assisted Jack Marriott for the equalizer, his first goal since January, in an eventual 2–1 defeat at Luton Town, Derby's third consecutive defeat in all competitions.

There were heavy links with Jordon Ibe, who had had a loan spell with the club in 2014-15,[24] and former Liverpool forward Bobby Duncan.;[25] both joined the club in the week following the Luton game.[26][27] Neither player featured in the next game, a 4–0 home defeat to Blackburn Rovers; a third straight league defeat condemning the Rams to their worst start to a season since the 1992-93 campaign.[28]

As new signing Bobby Duncan was confirmed to initially be part of the Rams under-23s side,[29] Derby continued making signings with one eye on the future in the capture of Southend United winger Isaac Hutchinson.,[30] former-Bradford City goalkeeper George Sykes-Kenworthy and ex-West Ham United midfielder Louie Watson.[31]

The upcoming closure of the international transfer window on 5 October saw the club heavily linked with SV Darmstadt 98 striker Serdar Dursun and they reportedly submitted bids of £750,000 and £1m for the player,[32] though both were rejected and no deal went through,[33] though it was suggested Derby would revisit their interest in 2021.[34]

The club continued its hunt for a striker within the English league and was linked with loan moves for Premier League forwards Keinan Davis of Aston Villa.[35] and Charlie Austin of West Brom,[33][36] though Austin rejected a move despite a personal phone call from club captain Wayne Rooney.[37] Against the back drop of these transfer links, it was Rooney's 87th-minute free kick that proved the difference in 1–0 win away to Norwich City that took the club out of the bottom three and relieved some of the pressure building on Cocu going into the first international break of the season.

In the days leading up to the closure of the domestic transfer window on 16 October, Louie Sibley was linked with a move to Leeds United[38] and Florian Jozefzoon was linked with Rotherham United;[39] Jozefzoon duly joined The Millers until the end of the campaign.[40] Following the collapse of a deal for Charlie Austin,[37] Derby were linked with a move for his West Brom teammate Kenneth Zohore and also tabled a loan bid for former loanee Harry Wilson[41] Ultimately, the club signed free agent Colin Kazim-Richards[31] and, in a move that proved controversial amongst the fanbase,[42] allowed Jack Marriott to leave for a season-long loan at Sheffield Wednesday,[43] though the club retained the right to recall the forward in January and extended his contract until the end of the 2021/22 season.[44] On the day the window closed, Derby lost 1-0 at home to Watford to continue their poor start to the season. The result was compounded three days later with the news that Wayne Rooney would have to go into self isolation for ten days following his coming into contact with a friend who was later diagnosed as having coronavirus and miss three games as a result.[45] The first of these games was a 1-0 defeat at Huddersfield Town, a fifth defeat in six league games, which increased the pressure manager Phillip Cocu; the Dutch press rumoured his job was "hanging by a thread" [46] though Chairman Mel Morris publicly backed Cocu, saying “Of course we are concerned about the lack of points, as is the manager. But when you look at the cards we’ve been dealt this season, it's hardly surprising that results have been poor. Does he have our support? Yes, we have got to be realistic about the challenges he faces. This is not about a lack of tactics, or effort on the training field, or those things."[47] The following three games, away to Nottingham Forest in the first East Midlands derby of the season, at home to Cardiff City and away to Bournemouth, were all 1-1 draws which saw Derby take the lead in the first half before being pegged-back in the second. The results lead Cocu to admit the team needed to improve their end product, as after nine league games they had only two goals from open-play.[48]

On 30 October, rumours regarding a potential takeover of the club by Abu Dhabi-based Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who had previously been linked to Newcastle United and Liverpool, began to surface.[49]

The first game of November saw Derby lose 1–0 at home to Queens Park Rangers to further heap pressure on Phillip Cocu - former manager Steve McClaren accused Cocu and the club of "underachieving",[50] fans referred to his claims the team did not deserve to lose as "deluded" and "a tough listen"[51] and pundits summarised he was "on the edge"[52] as Derby found themselves in the bottom two after just one win in their opening ten games, only being kept off the bottom by Sheffield Wednesday, who had had six points deducted. With the rumoured £60m takeover by Khaled bin Zayed Al Nehayan approved by the EFL,[53] it was reported that Derby's players “(did) not expect the Dutchman to survive the forthcoming international break.”[54] Cocu's issues were then compounded by news he had to go into self-isolation following coming into contact with club CEO Stephen Pearce, who later tested positive for COVID-19, meaning he would absent for the match against Barnsley.[55] The Barnsley match ended in a 2–0 defeat - Barnsley's first win at Pride Park in over a decade - and saw the Rams slump to the bottom of the table as they endured their worst start to a season in 12 years.[56] Cocu left the club by mutual agreement on 14 November, along with assistant manager Chris van der Weerden and Specialist First Team Coach Twan Scheepers, after 16-months and 65 matches in charge.[1] First team affairs were taken over by captain Wayne Rooney with support by members of Cocu's remaining backroom staff, Liam Rosenior, Shay Given and Justin Walker.[2] Early links with the position included Rooney, Aston Villa assistant manager John Terry, former-Liverpool and Newcastle United manager Rafa Benitez, Swansea City boss Steve Cooper and Eddie Howe, who was unattached after his resignation from AFC Bournemouth.[57] The first post-Cocu result once again saw defeat, 1–0 at Bristol City, to leave Derby at the foot of the table and three points from safety, though Wayne Rooney said he could guarantee that the side would "get better (and) get out of the situation we're in and... start winning games."[58] Prior to the next game, away to Middlesbrough, the club announced the appointment of former-manager Steve McClaren as technical director to advise the board, with the "permanent status of the (position) subject to ratification by Derventio Holdings’ board following completion of the club acquisition.” [59] The Middlesbrough match ended in another defeat, 3-0, that left Derby routed at the foot at the table, now four points from safety. Rosenior stated that the result had to be a "watershed" moment for the club[60] whereas Rooney found himself being an increasingly polarizing figure amongst fans for his perceived avoidance of post-match interviews after poor results and his "abject" performances on the field, with supporters calling him a "disgrace" and asking him to "leave the club now".[61] It was announced the day after the "painful and chastening" Middlesbrough result that Rooney would take sole control of the side for the next match against Wycombe Wanderers and had removed himself from the playing squad,[4] with Rooney admitting that it is "possible" he had played his final game.[62] Rooney's first game as sole interim manager saw him make seven changes to the side that had lost at Middlesbrough, including handing a first start to Colin Kazim-Richards, but could not guide Derby to a second victory, as Matt Bloomfield's 81st-minute equalizer canceled out Duane Holmes' first-half goal (Derby's first goal in a month). The result left Derby bottom, though the gap from safety was reduced to five points as none of the bottom six teams were able to secure victory. The month ended with the draw for the FA Cup Third Round Proper, which saw Derby handed a potential banana skin at National League North side Chorley.[63]

Derby blew another chance at a first win since October following another 1–1 home draw, this time against fellow strugglers Coventry City, to remain 5 points away from 21st placed Nottingham Forest after the completion of the 15th round of fixtures. Post-match, Rooney stated he had enjoyed his first week in the role despite the "frustrating" results but admitted that the proposed takeover would have to be completed before he would know if the position would be his permanently.[65] According to local media, no candidates had been approached or interviewed,[65] though the national media heavily linked Aston Villa assistant manager John Terry, with Rooney second favourite,[66][67] whilst other sources, such as podcaster Ian McGarry, claimed they had not heard Terry's name mentioned.[68] Rooney claimed his first win as Derby boss as Jason Knight scored a 69th-minute winner at Millwall to give Derby a first victory in two months and twelve matches to take them off the bottom and to within two points of Nottingham Forest in 21st. The run of five points from three games saw Rooney overtake Terry to become the bookmaker's favourite for the position,[69] with former-England manager Sam Allardyce (who instead replaced Slaven Bilić at West Bromwich Albion[70]) and Burnley boss Sean Dyche being newly linked to the role.[69] Rooney strengthened his claims by extending his unbeaten start to six games with a 0–0 draw away to Brentford being followed with a 0–0 draw at home to Stoke City (in which Derby were controversially denied a penalty for a foul on Lee Buchanan, about which ex-Premier League referee Mark Halsey said that Derby had "every reason to be unhappy."[71]) and a first home win in thirteen attempts with a 2–0 win over Swansea City, which moved The Rams level on points with 20th placed Rotherham United, though still in the bottom three on goal difference. Rotherham were due to be the next opponents, but the match at the New York Stadium was postponed 90-minutes before kick-off due to a coronavirus outbreak in Rotherham's squad.[72] Derby's unbeaten run ended in the following game as they fell to a boxing day home defeat to Preston North End; a sixth home defeat meaning they had already lost more home games than in the previous two seasons despite only having played eleven out of twenty-three home ties. Despite the defeat, Derby ended the year outside the relegation zone after a 4-0 win away to Birmingham City - Derby's biggest away win since a 4-0 win at the same opponents on 26th December 2014 - took them up to 20th and three points clear of relegation with a game in hand. Academy graduate Kaide Gordon's appearance as a substitute made him the fourth-youngster player in club history.[73]

Derby's upturn in form was tempered by the news that Curtis Davies, who has been stretched off in the 65th-minute in the draw at Brentford, had suffered an injury to his achilles and would be out "long-term", with speculation that Davies, whose contract was due to expire at the end of the season, had played his last game for the club.[74] Despite the injury to Davies leaving Derby short at centre-back, Rooney made it clear that the primary target for the upcoming January transfer window would be a striker, saying “The striker area we need to add to. Colin (Kazim-Richards) has come, and he’s been great. If we can add one or two more in that position it would only benefit the team in the long run.”[75] One potential signing was Leeds United's Tyler Roberts, though Leeds informed Derby that any deal would require Leeds bringing someone in first.[76]

Looking ahead to the January transfer window, it was also revealed that out of favour defender Mike te Wierik, who has not featured since October, had been told he was free to find another club[77] and that Jayden Mitchell-Lawson would return from his loan spell at Bristol Rovers early after a managerial change left him out of the first team.[78]

The proposed £60 million takeover by Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan's Derventio Holdings, which had been ratified by the EFL the previous month,[53] still remained uncompleted as of mid-December, resulting in doubts over the deal after it emerged Zayed Al Nahyan owed Newcastle United £500k in legal bills from previous takeover discussions.[79] This led to the club, who had been silent on the takeover progress for six weeks, issuing a statement that discussions were on track, with the aim of a finish before Christmas[64] which, ultimately, did not happen. The continued delay with the takeover had the knock-on effect of players wage payments being delayed leading into the new year.[80]

For their performances during December, Nathan Byrne, Matt Clarke, Krystian Bielik and Colin Kazim-Richards were all names in the WhoScored.com Championship Team of the Month.[81] Bielik was also nominated for Sky Bet Championship Player of the Month.[82]

Derby opened 2021 with a 1-0 defeat at Sheffield Wednesday which saw The Owls leapfrog Derby in the table, who dropped back into the bottom three, albeit with a game in hand on a number of the teams around them. In the days following the game, Derby closed their training ground, as did Sheffield Wednesday, after "several players" were found to have contracted COVID-19.[84][83] Although there had been concerns that the outbreak would affect the FA Cup tie against Chorley, it was reported Derby would not have to forfeit the tie in the case that they could not fulfil the fixture, with each case to be assessed by the FA on its individual circumstances,[85] though as FA Cup rules stated that clubs are expected to fulfil their fixtures as long as they have 14 eligible players, including the under-23 and under-18 squads, they would be expected to play.[86] As a result, manager Wayne Rooney and the entirety of the first team squad would not travel for the game, and the team would be managed by Senior Professional Development Phase Coach Pat Lyons and Professional Development Phase Coach Gary Bowyer.[87] Testing of the available players the day before the game ruled out a further six players[88] leaving Lyons to admit that Derby were now "underdogs."[89] Derby, for whom fourteen players made their debuts,[90] fielded a team with an average age of 19 and lost 2-0 to exit at the third round stage for only the third time in ten years; it was the first time a sixth tier side had beaten a second tier team since 1991. In the days following the Chorley game the whole of the first team squad tested negative for COVID-19 and were able to return to training.[91] On 15 January, Wayne Rooney was appointed manager on a full-time basis, signing a two-and-a-half year deal and officially announcing his retirement as a player.[5] Liam Rosenior took up the role of assistant manager and Shay Given moved to first-team coach, with Jason Pearcey stepping up from Academy goalkeeping coach to replace Given as first-team goalkeeping coach.[5] Steve McClaren also stayed on as technical director and advisor to the board of directors.[5] Rooney's first game as permanent manager was a 1-0 home defeat to Rotherham United. The defeat, the first time Derby had failed to beat Rotherham in a home fixture since 1985 and Rotherham's first victory at Derby in 55 years,[92] was described as "sloppy" by Rooney[93] and continued a alarming record against the teams around Derby in the bottom eight positions of the table, with just one win in seven and six points from a possible 21.[92] In contrast, a 1-0 home win over AFC Bournemouth in the next fixture continued their strong string of results against teams in the top six, with only one defeat in seven fixtures, and took Derby out of the relegation zone. The win was followed with more 1-0 victories, this time away to relegation rivals Q.P.R. and at home to play-off chasing Bristol City, as Derby achieved back-to-back wins for the first time in the 2020-21 season and pulled five points clear of the relegation zone, albeit having played two more games than Rotherham in 22nd.

With takeover talks with Derventio Holdings still in progress, it was revealed on the 9th January that payment of December wages were outstanding, with some players being described as "frustrated".[94] It was later revealed that 50% of player wages had already been paid and the rest was dependent on the completion of the takeover.[95] In the week following the FA Cup defeat at Chorley, it was announced that the takeover was finally to be completed and the delayed wages to players and senior executives would be paid.[96] Despite claims that the takeover was now "legally binding"[97] this was, once again, not the case; with players wages remaining unpaid, it was reported that CEO Stephen Pearce had called the players and management together at the training ground to apologise for the ongoing problems, and promised to keep them informed of developments;[97] some reports suggested Derby has alerted clubs to the availablility of players such as Jason Knight and Louie Sibley as they needed to raise money quickly to avoid possible administration and a points deduction.[98] The failure to pay player wages also resulted in a transfer embargo being placed on the club.[99] With uncertainty brewing amongst the fanbase, CEO Stephen Pearce reassured the support that the takeover was "absolutely going ahead"[100] and that any player sales would be within the range of their business model rather than in a fire sale.[95] It was suggested that, rather than first team players, Derby would look to sell members of its academy in order to raise additional money.[101] The continued delays in the takeover led to the club drawing up contingency plans to find funds from alternate sources.[102] The players wages for December were fully paid on 25th January.[103]

With the reopening of the transfer window and Derby looking to strengthen, Rooney reiterated his desire to improve the club's attacking options, as well as add a centre back, during the upcoming month.[104] The press linked Derby with moves for Tom Ince, who had had a successful spell at the club between 2015 and 2017, SV Darmstadt striker Serdar Dursun, though the player would not qualify under the new points-based system agreed by the FA, Premier League and EFL in conjunction with the Home Office following the UK's exit from the European Union,[104] Peterborough United's Siriki Dembele,[105] former Blackpool forward Armand Gnanduillet,[106] Doncaster Rovers Ben Whiteman,[107] (who eventually joined Preston North End[108]), AFC Wimbledon's Joe Piggott,[109] and free-agents Ravel Morrison[110] and Nathaniel Mendez-Laing.[111] There were also links with loan deals for Leeds striker Tyler Roberts,[112] Aston Villa's Keinan Davis,[113]Cardiff City winger Josh Murphy,[114] Sheffield United's Billy Sharp.[115] and Rangers' George Edmundson.[116] An apparent interest in Standard Liège's Montenegrin winger Aleksandar Boljević cooled when Derby, who initially believed the player was available on a free transfer, were informed he would cost £2 million.[117]

In regards of outgoings, Isaac Hutchinson was the first departure of the window, as he moved on loan to League Two Forest Green Rovers for the rest of the season.[118] Out-of-favour defender Mike te Wierik was the first permanent outgoing as he agreed a deal to return to FC Groningen;[119] when discussing his time at Derby he said "It has not turned out what I had hoped for, it is that simple. In the beginning I didn't play well enough, but we didn't really play well as a team either."[120] Duane Holmes, with whom the club had opened contract talks,[121] but failed to agree terms[122] was heavily linked with a £1m move to Huddersfield Town.[123] after having displayed displeasure at being played out-wide rather than in his preferred position of down the middle.[124] Holmes eventually joined Huddersfield on 25 January[125] with the deal quoted as being predominantly incentive based.[126] Manchester City were supposedly "angered" after an attempt to sign loanee Scott Carson was rebuffed by the club, due to them wanting the £500k loan free due them.[127] A £500k bid from Millwall for George Evans was rejected by the club,[128] before accepting a bid of £750k as Rooney told Evans he could not guarantee him game time.[129] A £700k bid from Swansea City for Morgan Whittaker was also accepted.[129]

A rumoured outgoing was Jason Knight, who was linked with moves to Premier League clubs Burnley, West Ham United and Crystal Palace;[130] Leeds United were also linked with Knight, as well as Louie Sibley.[131] However, Rooney was unequivocal in saying that Knight would not be leaving.[132]Kaide Gordon, an academy product who made his first-team debut in the 4-0 win at Birmingham City, was linked with a move to Liverpool or Manchester United[133] with Derby valuing Gordon at £2m having already turned down offers for him.[134] Although not an imminent departure, Manchester City scout Jakub Bokiej revealed in an interview that he had Kamil Jóźwiak "high" on a list of players he monitored and believed Jóźwiak would be playing in the Premier League within 18-months.[135]

In addition to transfers, the club also had to start considering whether or not to extend the contracts of a number of first-team players whose deals were coming to end. Whilst it was believed that Scott Carson, Florian Jozefzoon, Curtis Davies and Scott Malone would not be offered new deals, and, as previously stated, Duane Holmes had failed to agree terms,[122] it was understood talks were expected to open with Martyn Waghorn and Andre Wisdom.[121]

With the transfer window closing at 11pm on 1st February, the Rams conducted the majority of their transfer business in the final 24 hours. Manchester United defender Teden Mengi, Rangers defender George Edmundson, Everton midfielder Beni Baningime, Manchester City winger Patrick Robertsand Stoke City forward Lee Gregoryall joined on loan deals until the end of the campaign.[136] George Evans left the club for Millwall in a £750k deal[137] and Morgan Whittaker joined Swansea City for £700k.[138] The club's final business was to let Jahmal Hector-Ingram join Stevenage on loan until the end of the season.[139]

Roberts, Baningime and Gregory made their debuts as substitutes as Derby finally played their away fixture against Rotherham United at the third time of asking, following postponements firstly due to COVID-19 and then a waterlogged pitch, but were on the wrong end of a 3-0 defeat which saw the gap between Derby and the relegation zone reduced to just two points, with Rotherham, in 22nd, having two games in hand. It was the first time Rotherham has completed a league double over the Rams since the 1965/66 season. The defeat was compounded by the fact that Krystian Bielik, who had suffered injury in the 1-0 win over Bristol City, would miss the remainder of the season due to an anterior cruciate ligament; the second time he has suffered the injury in his spell at the club.[140]

As of 1 February 2021[141][142]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 1 GK  SCO David Marshall 2 DF  ENG Andre Wisdom 3 DF  SCO Craig Forsyth 4 MF  SCO Graeme Shinnie 5 DF  POL Krystian Bielik 7 FW  POL Kamil Jóźwiak 8 MF  ENG Max Bird 9 FW  ENG Martyn Waghorn 10 MF  WAL Tom Lawrence 11 FW  ENG Jordon Ibe 12 DF  ENG Nathan Byrne 13 FW  TUR Colin Kazim-Richards 15 DF  ENG Teden Mengi (on loan from Manchester United) 16 DF  ENG Matt Clarke (on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion) 17 MF  ENG Louie Sibley 19 FW  ENG Lee Gregory (on loan from Stoke City) 21 GK  NED Kelle Roos

No. Pos. Nation Player 23 MF  ENG Patrick Roberts (on loan from Manchester City) 26 DF  ENG Lee Buchanan 30 GK  ENG Emmanuel Idem 33 DF  ENG Curtis Davies 34 MF  COD Beni Baningime (on loan from Everton) 37 DF  ENG Kornell McDonald 38 MF  IRL Jason Knight 39 FW  SCO Jack Stretton 40 MF  IRL Louie Watson 41 FW  ENG Kaide Gordon 42 GK  ENG Bradley Foster 45 MF  ENG Josh Shonibare 46 MF  ENG Jordan Brown 47 DF  ENG Harrison Solomon 48 MF  IRL Olamide Ibrahim - DF  ENG George Edmunson (on loan from Rangers)

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player — GK  ENG Scott Carson (at Manchester City until May 2021) — GK  ENG Jonathan Mitchell (at Northampton Town until May 2021) — DF  ENG Scott Malone (at Millwall until May 2021) — MF  ENG Isaac Hutchinson (at Forest Green Rovers until May 2021)

No. Pos. Nation Player — MF  NED Florian Jozefzoon (at Rotherham United until May 2021) 14 FW  ENG Jack Marriott (at Sheffield Wednesday until May 2021) 27 GK  SVK Henrich Ravas (at Hartlepool United until May 2021) 49 FW  ENG Jahmal Hector-Ingram (at Stevenage until May 2021)

The 2020–21 season fixtures were released on 21 August.[164]

Derby County v Reading

12 September 2020 1	Derby County	0–2	Reading	Derby
BST (UTC+1)		Report	João  40' Ejaria  45+1'	Stadium: Pride Park Attendance: 0 Referee: Darren Bond
Note: Match played behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom.

Luton Town v Derby County

19 September 2020 2	Luton Town	2–1	Derby County	Luton
15:00 BST	Berry  34' Clark  87'	Report	Marriott  52'	Stadium: Kenilworth Road Attendance: 0 Referee: Dean Whitestone
Note: Match played behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom.

Derby County v Blackburn Rovers

26 September 2020 3	Derby County	0–4	Blackburn Rovers	Derby
15:00 BST		Report	Dolan  11' Johnson  12', 15' Armstrong  77'	Stadium: Pride Park Stadium Referee: Andy Woolmer
Note: Match played behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom.

Norwich City v Derby County

3 October 2020 4	Norwich City	0–1	Derby County	Norwich
12:30 BST		Report	Rooney  87'	Stadium: Carrow Road Attendance: 0 Referee: Stuart Attwell
Note: Live on Sky Sports. Match played behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom.

Derby County v Watford

16 October 2020 5	Derby County	0–1	Watford	Derby
19:45 BST		Report	Pedro  76'	Stadium: Pride Park Stadium Attendance: 0 Referee: Geoff Eltringham
Note: Live on Sky Sports. Match played behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom.

Huddersfield Town v Derby County

20 October 2020 6	Huddersfield Town	1–0	Derby County	Huddersfield
19:45 BST	Bacuna  53'	Report		Stadium: Kirklees Stadium Attendance: 0 Referee: David Webb
Note: Match played behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom.

Nottingham Forest v Derby County

23 October 2020 7	Nottingham Forest	1–1	Derby County	West Bridgford
19:45 BST	Taylor  64'	Report	Waghorn  30'	Stadium: City Ground Attendance: 0 Referee: Tony Harrington
Note: Match played behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom.

Derby County v Cardiff City

28 October 2020 8	Derby County	1–1	Cardiff City	Derby
19:45 GMT	Waghorn 24'	Report	Moore 77'	Stadium: Pride Park Stadium Attendance: 0 Referee: Oliver Langford
Note: Match played behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom.

Bournemouth v Derby County

31 October 2020 9	Bournemouth	1–1	Derby County	Boscombe
15:00 GMT	Riquelme  81'	Report	Shinnie  13'	Stadium: Dean Court Attendance: 0 Referee: Robert Jones
Note: Match played behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom.

Derby County v Queens Park Rangers

4 November 2020 10	Derby County	0–1	Queens Park Rangers	Derby
19:45 GMT		Report	Bonne 88'	Stadium: Pride Park Stadium Attendance: 0 Referee: Gavin Ward
Note: Match played behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom.

Derby County v Barnsley

7 November 2020 11	Derby County	0–2	Barnsley	Derby
15:00 GMT		Report	Chaplin  30' Adeboyejo  83'	Stadium: Pride Park Stadium Attendance: 0 Referee: Leigh Doughty
Note: Match played behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom.

Bristol City v Derby County

21 November 2020 12	Bristol City	1–0	Derby County	Bristol
15:00 GMT	Diedhiou  68'	Report		Stadium: Ashton Gate Attendance: 0 Referee: Keith Stroud
Note: Match played behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom.

Middlesbrough v Derby County

25 November 2020 13	Middlesbrough	3–0	Derby County	Middlesbrough
19:00 GMT	Assombalonga  33' Clarke  71' (o.g.) Johnson  83'	Report		Stadium: Riverside Stadium Attendance: 0 Referee: Peter Bankes
Note: Match played behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom.

Derby County v Wycombe Wanderers

28 November 2020 14	Derby County	1–1	Wycombe Wanderers	Derby
15:00 GMT	Holmes  36'	Report	Bloomfield  81'	Stadium: Pride Park Stadium Attendance: 0 Referee: Oliver Langford
Note: Match played behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom.

Derby County v Coventry City

1 December 2020 15	Derby County	1–1	Coventry City	Derby
19:45 GMT	Kazim-Richards  83'	Report	Hamer  90+1'	Stadium: Pride Park Stadium Attendance: 0 Referee: Dean Whitestone
Note: Match played behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom.

Millwall v Derby County

5 December 2020 16	Millwall	0–1	Derby County	Bermondsey
15:00 GMT		Report	Knight  69'	Stadium: The Den Attendance: 2,000 Referee: Darren England
Note: Played under COVID-19 Tier 2 restrictions.

Derby County v Swansea City

16 December 2020 19	Derby County	2–0	Swansea City	Derby
17:30 GMT	Kazim-Richards  4' Jóźwiak  37'			Stadium: Pride Park Stadium Attendance: 0
Note: Match played behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom.

Derby County v Preston North End

26 December 2020 20	Derby County	0–1	Preston North End	Derby
15:00 GMT	Waghorn  20'	Report	Browne  90+6'	Stadium: Pride Park Stadium Attendance: 0 Referee: Darren Bond
Note: Match played behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom.

Birmingham City v Derby County

29 December 2020 21	Birmingham City	0–4	Derby County	Bordesley
17:30 GMT		Report	Bielik  15' Shinnie  17' (pen.) Kazim-Richards  26' Knight  77'	Stadium: St. Andrew's Attendance: 0 Referee: Tony Harrington
Note: Live on Sky Sports. Match played behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom.

Sheffield Wednesday v Derby County

1 January 2021 22	Sheffield Wednesday	1–0	Derby County	Owlerton
17:30 GMT	Paterson  61'	Report		Stadium: Hillsborough Stadium Attendance: 0 Referee: Matt Donohue
Note: Live on Sky Sports. Match played behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom.

Derby County v Rotherham United

16 January 2021 23	Derby County	0–1	Rotherham United	Derby
15:00 GMT		Report	Lindsay  86'	Stadium: Pride Park Stadium Attendance: 0 Referee: James Linington
Note: Match played behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom.

Derby County v Bournemouth

19 January 2021 24	Derby County	1–0	Bournemouth	Derby
18:00 GMT	Bielik  32'	Report		Stadium: Pride Park Stadium Attendance: 0 Referee: Oliver Langford
Note: Match played behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. Live on Sky Sports.

Queens Park Rangers v Derby County

23 January 2021 25	Queens Park Rangers	0–1	Derby County	White City
15:00 GMT		Report	Kazim-Richards  56'	Stadium: Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium Attendance: 0 Referee: Tim Robinson
Note: Match played behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom.

Derby County v Bristol City

30 January 2021 26	Derby County	1–0	Bristol City	Derby
15:00 GMT	Kazim-Richards  4'	Report		Stadium: Pride Park Stadium Attendance: 0 Referee: Darren England
Note: Match played behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom.

Rotherham United v Derby County

3 February 2021 27	Rotherham United	3–0	Derby County	Rotherham
19:00 GMT	Ihiekwe  76' Smith  81' Giles  88'	Report		Stadium: New York Stadium Attendance: 0 Referee: Jeremy Simpson
Note: Match played behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom.

The draw for the Third Round proper of the FA Cup was made on 30 November 2020, live on BBC Sport, by Robbie Savage. Derby were handed a potential banana-skin tie, as they were drawn away to Chorley of the National League North (sixth tier), the lowest ranked side they had played in club history.[63] After a COVID-19 outbreak at Derby's training ground the Monday prior to the game, it was announced that Derby's first-team players and management would have to miss the game due to going into self-isolation, with the fixture instead being fulfilled by players and staff from the club's under-18 and under-23 sides.[87] Testing of the available players the day before the game ruled out a further four players.[88] In the event of a 2-0 defeat, development coach Pat Lyons said "We're disappointed not to get the result and the fairytale we wanted."[165]

Chorley v Derby County

9 January 2021 Third round	Chorley	2–0	Derby County	Chorley
12:15 GMT	Hall  10' Calveley  84'	Report		Stadium: Victoria Park Attendance: 0 Referee: Kevin Friend
Note: Match played behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. Live on BT Sport.

The first round draw was made on 18 August, live on Sky Sports, by Paul Merson.[166] Derby drew League Two side Barrow, whom they had not played competitively since 1957, at home; Merson described the match as "one of the ties of the round".[167] Derby progressed on penalties to reach the second round, which was drawn at the same time as the third round, on September 6, live on Sky Sports by Phil Babb.[168] Derby were handed two more potential home ties, as they were first drawn against fellow-Championship side Preston, with a potential third-round tie against the winners of the tie between Premier League Brighton & Hove Albion and EFL League One Portsmouth. In the event of the Preston game, however, Derby let slip a one-goal lead to lose 2-1 and exit the competition at the second round stage for the second time in three seasons.

Derby County v Barrow

5 September 2020 First round	Derby County	0–0 (3–2 p)	Barrow	Derby
12:00 BST		Report		Stadium: Pride Park Stadium Attendance: 0 Referee: Ollie Yates
	Penalties
	Evans Marriott Bird Shinnie Whittaker		Angus Beadling Hardcastle Biggins Hindle

Derby County v Preston North End

15 September 2020 Second round	Derby County	1–2	Preston North End	Derby
18:30 BST	Knight  51' te Wierik  55'	Report	Barkhuizen  79' Johnson  90+2' (pen.)	Stadium: Pride Park Stadium Attendance: 0 Referee: Andy Davies

As of 3 February 2020

No.	Pos	Nat	Player	Total		Championship		FA Cup		League Cup
				Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Goalkeepers
1	GK		David Marshall	23	0	23	0	0	0	0	0
21	GK		Kelle Roos	6	0	4	0	0	0	2	0
—	GK		Matt Yates	1	0	0	0	1	0	0	0
Defenders
2	DF		Andre Wisdom	25	0	21+2	0	0	0	1+1	0
3	DF		Craig Forsyth	10	0	8+1	0	0	0	1	0
6	DF		Mike te Wierik	6	0	3+1	0	0	0	2	0
12	DF		Nathan Byrne	25	0	24+1	0	0	0	0	0
16	DF		Matthew Clarke	28	0	26	0	0	0	2	0
26	DF		Lee Buchanan	23	0	19+2	0	0	0	2	0
33	DF		Curtis Davies	13	0	11+1	0	0	0	0+1	0
37	DF		Kornell McDonald	4	0	0+4	0	0	0	0	0
—	DF		Max Bardell	1	0	0	0	1	0	0	0
—	DF		Joe Bateman	1	0	0	0	1	0	0	0
—	DF		Hugo Jinkinson	1	0	0	0	1	0	0	0
—	DF		Harrison Solomon	1	0	0	0	1	0	0	0
—	DF		Dylan Williams	1	0	0	0	1	0	0	0
Midfielders
4	MF		Graeme Shinnie	24	2	22	2	0	0	1+1	0
5	MF		Krystian Bielik	13	2	13	2	0	0	0	0
8	MF		Max Bird	18	0	11+6	0	0	0	1	0
17	MF		Louie Sibley	19	0	5+12	0	0	0	2	0
22	MF		George Evans	8	0	5+1	0	0	0	2	0
23	MF		Duane Holmes	15	1	7+7	1	0	0	1	0
32	MF		Wayne Rooney	11	1	9+1	1	0	0	1	0
34	MF		Beni Baningime	1	0	0+1	0	0	0	0	0
38	MF		Jason Knight	29	3	26+1	2	0	0	2	1
40	MF		Louie Watson	1	0	0+1	0	0	0	0	0
41	MF		Kaide Gordon	1	0	0+1	0	0	0	0	0
42	MF		Jayden Mitchell-Lawson	1	0	0+1	0	0	0	0	0
43	MF		Liam Thompson	1	0	0	0	1	0	0	0
46	MF		Jordan Brown	1	0	0	0	0	0	0+1	0
48	MF		Olamide Ibrahim	1	0	0	0	0+1	0	0	0
—	MF		Osazee Aghatise	1	0	0	0	1	0	0	0
—	MF		Festy Ebosele	1	0	0	0	0+1	0	0	0
—	MF		Isaac Hutchinson	1	0	0	0	1	0	0	0
Forwards
7	FW		Kamil Jóźwiak	23	1	20+3	1	0	0	0	0
9	FW		Martyn Waghorn	18	2	11+7	2	0	0	0	0
10	FW		Tom Lawrence	13	0	11+2	0	0	0	0	0
11	FW		Jordan Ibe	1	0	0+1	0	0	0	0	0
13	FW		Colin Kazim-Richards	20	5	14+6	5	0	0	0	0
14	FW		Jack Marriott	6	1	3+1	1	0	0	1+1	0
18	FW		Morgan Whittaker	11	0	1+8	0	0	0	1+1	0
19	FW		Lee Gregory	1	0	0+1	0	0	0	0	0
23	FW		Patrick Roberts	1	0	0+1	0	0	0	0	0
39	FW		Jack Stretton	3	0	0+3	0	0	0	0	0
49	FW		Jahmal Hector-Ingram	7	0	0+7	0	0	0	0	0
—	FW		Cameron Cresswell	1	0	0	0	1	0	0	0
—	FW		Bartosz Cybulski	1	0	0	0	0+1	0	0	0
—	FW		Bobby Duncan	1	0	0	0	1	0	0	0

As of 30 January 2020

Rank	No.	Nat.	Po.	Name	Championship	FA Cup	League Cup	Total
1	13		FW	Colin Kazim-Richards	5	0	0	5
2	38		MF	Jason Knight	2	0	1	3
3	4		MF	Graeme Shinnie	2	0	0	2
	5		MF	Krystian Bielik	2	0	0	2
	9		FW	Martyn Waghorn	2	0	0	2
5	7		FW	Kamil Jóźwiak	1	0	0	1
	14		FW	Jack Marriott	1	0	0	1
	25		MF	Duane Holmes	1	0	0	1
	32		MF	Wayne Rooney	1	0	0	1
Total					17	0	1	18

As of 30 January 2020

Rank	No.	Nat.	Po.	Name	Championship	FA Cup	League Cup	Total
1	7		FW	Kamil Jóźwiak	2	0	0	2
	9		FW	Martyn Waghorn	2	0	0	2
3	12		DF	Nathan Byrne	1	0	0	1
	13		MF	Colin Kazim-Richards	1	0	0	1
	17		MF	Louie Sibley	0	0	1	1
	26		DF	Lee Buchanan	1	0	0	0
Total					7	0	1	8