Derby County extended their winless run in the Championship to three matches after losing to Sunderland on Tuesday night.
Derby will be looking to bounce back from their recent hardships when they host Queens Park Rangers at Pride Park this weekend.
The Rams have an excellent home record, winning three out of four matches, with their only defeat coming controversially against Norwich City last Saturday.
Paul Warne’s squad will fancy their chances of condemning QPR to further misery, as the Hoops are winless in five matches across all competitions, suffering their latest defeat to Hull City.
While both sides are going through a tricky period, Derby’s has coincided with the absence of one huge player, who would have perhaps made a difference.
Derby County star David Ozoh is a ‘big miss’ to Paul Warne
David Ozoh arrived on loan from Crystal Palace in the summer and was one of several new signings to make an instant impression.
The 19-year-old brought significant strength and physicality to the Rams midfield along with a willingness and hunger to win the ball back.
Currently, Ozoh ranks second in the Championship for most tackles won per game (3.8), with Warne missing his aggression in recent matches.
After suffering a hamstring injury in the 1-0 win over Cardiff City, Warne confirmed Ozoh would return following the next international break, meaning he’s been absent for their defeats to Sheffield United, Norwich and Sunderland.
EFL pundit Sam Parkin has pinpointed the 2005-born talent as a ‘big player’ for Derby who has been a huge miss.
“I understand Ozoh was missing from the midfield, the loanee from Palace, who’s been a real big player for them so far this season,” Parkin said on the Championship Check-In podcast.
“I just had a conversation with someone who was working on the game and said that he was a big, big miss for them.”
- READ MORE: Paul Warne’s damning comments highlight just how much Derby County miss ‘phenomenal’ player
Derby County vs Queens Park Rangers is a massive game
Ozoh’s presence in the middle of the park has undoubtedly been a huge miss for the Rams during their three most recent defeats.
But Parkin believes Warne will arrive into their clash against QPR in a more confident mood compared to how he would have felt before the Norwich and Sunderland matches.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 11 |  Oxford UnitedOxford United | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 12 | 10 | 2 | 11 |
| 12 |  SwanseaSwansea | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 11 |
| 13 |  Bristol CityBristol City | 8 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 9 | 13 | -4 | 10 |
| 14 |  DerbyDerby | 8 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 10 | 12 | -2 | 9 |
| 15 |  Stoke CityStoke City | 8 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 10 | 12 | -2 | 9 |
| 16 |  MillwallMillwall | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 12 | 11 | 1 | 8 |
“Yeah, it’s become a big game at the weekend, hasn’t it? For obvious reasons, just because, you know, Paul Warne will look at the start QPR have had and highlight that this is an opportunity to take points, probably in a more confident mood than he would have been approaching the Sunderland and Norwich games.”
It promises to be a tight encounter at Pride Park as both teams need to return to winning ways and stop the rot while Derby will want to continue their strong home record.
QPR have only won once in eight games in the Championship this term; their confidence is on the floor and the hosts must take advantage.