It’s the second international break of the season and so far, Derby County have slightly outperformed their expectations back in the Championship.
Paul Warne has managed to stabilise his side with four wins and five defeats from their opening nine games of the campaign.
There are some patterns and themes growing in that the Rams look comfortable at home, picking up all 12 of their points at Pride Park so far, while on their travels they are without a point at all.
It’s something the Derby boss will have to rectify after the break, but for now, he has brought some calm to a side tipped for relegation.
With such a big turnover of the squad, there are many who have impressed while others still have to show their quality on the pitch.
So with that said, here’s a look at the Derby County player ratings so far for the 2024/25 Championship season.
Derby County player ratings so far in 2024/25
Jacob Zetterstrom – 7/10
After a drawn-out summer saga, Derby finally landed Jacob Zetterstrom in a £1.4million deal from Swedish outfit Djugardens.
The 26-year-old has quickly become a fan favourite, making some outrageous saves to deny the opposition in several games.
The one clear area for improvement for Zetterstrom is in the distribution department, with a particular focus on his longer kicking.
So far, the Swedish international has been largely fine in short passing but has regularly failed to find his teammates when kicking further afield.
If he is to improve in the future, there will need to be some work done on keeping the ball in play while being more accurate in those passes.
Josh Vickers – 6.5/10
Goalkeeper Josh Vickers has only played two Championship matches this season and may feel unfortunate to be left out of the side.
The opening game saw the 28-year-old concede four goals to Blackburn, though none of those were through any fault of his own.
He was then impressive in a 1-0 win over Middlesbrough in Pride Park, where a clean sheet helped the Rams pick up their first three points.
Injury shortly followed and the goalkeeper has yet to regain the number one shirt after a short spell in goal.
Joe Ward – N/A
Joe Ward has struggled with injury following the end of the previous season, with his place in the team yet to be restored.
The flying full-back has only made three cameo appearances from the bench so far, playing just 15 minutes in total.
He will be hopeful of making a full return to the team and picking up more minutes after the international break.
Ryan Nyambe – 8/10
Since coming back into the team, Ryan Nyambe has been nearly undroppable for Warne at right-back this season.
The defender is capable of locking down a whole flank by himself, which makes it incredibly tough for teams to break Derby down.
After recently signing a new contract, the 26-year-old has shown his worth back in the Championship with only minor things letting him down.
One of those is his attacking contribution, with his ability in the final third lacking but not without some endeavour.
At times, Nyambe has become a battering ram when driving forward on the ball, but often lacks that end product with a cross or pass to split open the defence.
Kane Wilson – 6/10
Kane Wilson’s season has been slightly interrupted so far by injury, with a hamstring issue keeping him out of four of the nine matches so far this campaign.
The right-back scored against Blackburn on the opening day, but the following game against Middlesbrough saw him suffer an injury.
His return to the team has been blocked by the form of Nyambe, but his cameos have come with his usual impressive ball-carrying ability.
Eiran Cashin – 6.5/10
Since stepping back up to the Championship, Eiran Cashin has been largely comfortable playing at centre-back.
The 22-year-old has played eight of the nine matches so far this season, suffering a concussion that saw him miss the trip to Watford.
While he hasn’t quite imposed himself in the same way as League One, he has been solid nonetheless, though there is the occasional question asked on his passing.
With three bookings so far, there will need to be some caution to avoid a suspension in the upcoming run of games.
Curtis Nelson – 7/10
After playing every minute in League One, Curtis Nelson has continued his impressive displays in the Championship.
The towering centre-back has already scored twice, one of which was an incredible header against QPR before the international break.
While there were some concerns about the step-up, the defender has already settled well back into the second tier.
On occasion, he has been turned easy and a lack of pace and passing do have to be accounted for, but he has largely impressed.
Sonny Bradley – 5.5/10
Sonny Bradley hasn’t had much of a chance to play for Derby this season, making just two appearances so far.
He was solid in the victory against Middlesbrough, coming on from the bench to help seal a huge 1-0 win.
He then played the full match against Watford, where there were some struggles, but has largely been out of the picture.
Nat Phillips – 5.5/10
Similar to Bradley, Nat Phillips hasn’t had a huge chance to break into the team yet, which naturally impacts his rating.
The Liverpool loanee has made four appearances in the Championship, which have included three substitute calls.
His one appearance from the start was against Sunderland away in a back three, with the team not looking quite settled.
Phillips most recently came off the bench to take on QPR, playing in the midfield to see the game out, where he didn’t look too comfortable.
Craig Forsyth – 7/10
An unshakeable stalwart in the Derby side, Craig Forsyth has taken his opportunity in the team with both hands yet again.
The left-back knows his strengths and limitations, playing to them both to ensure that he is never left in a situation that doesn’t benefit him or the team.
The Scotsman has eight appearances with one goal and one assist, with a versatility that offers something at both left-back and centre-back.
Callum Elder – 7/10
After an injury-ridden season last time around, Callum Elder looked to put that behind him with a full pre-season of work to help him.
That seemed to do the trick early doors, with the Australian putting in some impressive shifts on the flank.
With more attacking intention than Forsyth, but with just enough defensive capability, Elder has proven to be a useful player so far.
However, a recent injury has kept him out of the side and there are concerns surrounding how he may return.
David Ozoh – 8/10
Crystal Palace loanee David Ozoh has made a huge impact since signing for the Rams over the summer, bringing plenty of quality to the side.
The defensive midfielder covers a lot of space, while his physicality makes it nearly impossible to knock him off the ball.
It comes as little surprise that the midfield balance has been a challenge since the 19-year-old picked up an injury.
Fortunately for Derby, it seems as though the Crystal Palace starlet is set to return shortly after the international break.
Kenzo Goudmijn – 7.5/10
Derby have often been stung when signing players from abroad, with very few of them working out once they move to the East Midlands.
There are, however, plenty of positive signs suggesting that Kenzo Goudmijn may be a rare success story in that department.
Since arriving from the Eredivisie, the midfielder has been silky smooth on the ball and could represent an incredible piece of business.
The only concern so far has been a lack of influence on away games, which comes as an issue for the whole squad so far.
Ben Osborn – 6/10
A boyhood Derby fan, Ben Osborn has finally been able to ditch the red of Nottingham Forest for black and white at Pride Park.
The former Sheffield United man has been impressive on the ball and his set-piece deliveries are pinpoint too, but he is yet to seal a place in the team regularly.
At both central midfield and left-back, Osborn has yet to show his best, which may be exciting if he can find it in the weeks ahead.
Ebou Adams – 7.5/10
After making an impression on loan from Cardiff last season, Derby finally managed to secure the signing of Ebou Adams on a permanent basis in the summer.
The midfielder has brought his usual energy and recovery powers, which have been incredibly useful in stretched games.
There have been questions at times over his passing and marks will definitely be docked for that miss against Cardiff.
However, on the whole, it appears as though Adams has brought exactly what was expected of him back to Pride Park.
Liam Thompson – N/A
Liam Thompson has only managed four short cameo appearances from the bench this season before suffering an injury.
Tawanda Chirewa – 5.5/10
Unfortunately for Tawanda Chirewa, there hasn’t been much time to get involved in the team at Derby so far.
The Wolves loanee has made two appearances in the league, coming on late against Norwich before starting against Sunderland.
While there have been some flashes of quality, the youngster will need to have more chances to return to the side, which may be hampered by injury.
Marcus Harness – 6/10
Ipswich Town loanee Marcus Harness is also looking to make his way into the team after making the deadline-day switch to Derby.
His versatility is useful, making him an option to play on the wing or in midfield if required during the game.
Harness got his first goal for the Rams against QPR, with many hopeful that there will be more to build on in the future.
Tom Barkhuizen – N/A
Forward Tom Barkhuizen has made one start and a few substitute cameos but has struggled with injuries that have kept him out of the squad.
Corey Blackett-Taylor – N/A
Another who has struggled with injury is Corey Blackett-Taylor, with the winger only making some short cameo appearances.
His goal against Norwich from the bench brought some hope of a comeback as well as some excitement over the forward’s potential involvement from the start.
Nathaniel Mendez-Laing – 6.5/10
Derby’s star of last season, Nathaniel Mendez-Laing hasn’t quite had the same success he found in League One with the step up to the Championship.
The electric winger has largely played on the left, which isn’t his most natural position and makes a cut-in on his right foot slightly more obvious.
Despite that, Mendez-Laing has three assists and his set-piece delivery has been good enough to help the Rams win games.
If he can hit that next level in general play, he will be even more impressive.
Jerry Yates – 7/10
Swansea loanee Jerry Yates has been another impressive addition to the team following the summer transfer window.
While the striker is missing a goal – which would improve his score – his profile fits exactly what Warne needs in a striker.
Yates is incredibly hard-working off the ball, while on the ball his link-up play is nothing short of excellent at times.
With cute flicks, tricks and a drop of the shoulder or two, the striker is simply missing that first goal to open the floodgates.
Kayden Jackson – 6.5/10
Kayden Jackson made a quick start to life at Derby when he bagged a couple of goals in the opening few games.
Since then he has been involved with two assists, but can sometimes leave the fans wanting more during games.
His rapid pace makes him ideal for the counter-attacks, but some big chances have gone begging that have kept him from being slightly more impactful.
James Collins – 5.5/10
Another talisman from last year, James Collins has been more of a fringe player for Derby in the move to the Championship.
The striker has had smaller contributions but still provides useful pressing and link-up play when he is on the pitch.
Dajaune Brown – N/A
Dajaune Brown has been limited to just 14 minutes of action this season, but there are hopes that he can grow into a more prominent role.
Conor Washington – N/A
Conor Washington has been injured this season but is working his way back to fitness.