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Derby County play-off claim emerges as Preston given big boost
Welcome to DerbyshireLive's round-up of all things Derby County on Saturday, November 16.
Six shooter
Curtis Nelson believes Derby County have a chance of reaching the Championship play-offs and earning a shot at back-to-back promotions.
The central defender has committed himself to that cause by this week signing a new contract that will keep him at Pride Park until at least 2026. Nelson’s current deal was due to expire this summer.
READ MORE: Curtis Nelson reveals Derby County target 'top of everyone's list'
READ MORE: Bite-ban striker scores five and returns with Derby County comment
It is the last development in what has been a solid career since he came to the Rams as a free agent signing in the summer of 2023. Since then he has played every league game – and won promotion back to the Championship – the first of his career.
The 31-year-old expressed his pleasure at extending his stay at Derby: “I am really happy to get it done, you have always got an eye on what's coming next so I'm just really happy to get it done and to able to move forward with the club and get on with business.
“It was pretty simple. It was pretty simple from my side as well, I knew what I wanted to do and where I wanted to be, so it was an easy conversation for me and when the conversation started, it was pretty smooth sailing.”
Biting back
Milutin Osmajic is looking forward to getting his teeth into Derby County’s defence after serving an eight-game suspension for biting.
The Preston North End striker will be available for the first time since the start of October when the Rams visit Deepdale on Saturday, November 23, with Paul Heckingbottom’s men on a wretched run of form.
They currently sit just two places above the drop zone, level on points with 22nd placed Cardiff, having won only one of the eight games Osmajic missed. The 25-year-old served a lengthy ban after biting Blackburn Rovers defender Owen Beck in September’s Lancashire derby.
He is getting back up to speed now and scored five in the midweek Central League Cup clash with Wigan. He told the Lancashire Telegraph: “That was my last friendly game. Five goals... I played against young lads, but five goals, I am ready for the season.
“I'm very happy, because I am back and I can play in the Championship. The first game when I am back, against Derby, I want to score a goal - because we are playing at Deepdale."
Good job
Don Goodman has praised Derby County’s summer recruitment and their start to the season – but insists they must not get distracted from the main priority of retaining their Championship status.
The former West Brom and Wolves striker, turned pundit, points to the fact more than half of Saturday’s starting XI moved to Pride Park in the last transfer window.
While the likes of Jacob Widell Zetterstrom, Nat Phillips, Kenzo Goudmijn, Kayden Jackson and Jerry Yates were new faces, Ebou Adams turned his loan into a permanent deal – and all played their part in the 1-1 draw.
That left the Rams in the top half of the table, six points off the play-offs but only four away from the bottom three in a congested division. Goodman believes they are moving in the right direction.
“I covered their opening game of the season and they were well-beaten by Blackburn Rovers,” Goodman told Gambling Zone. “Paul Warne had said afterwards that his side wasn't 'Championship-ready' before completing their business.
“If you look at their transfer activity, it's been really good. Six new players started against Plymouth at the weekend which is half a team.
Deal or no deal
Derby County have used the international break to tend to some important housekeeping by securing the services of defender Curtis Nelson.
The 31-year-old, who was due to be out of contract at the end of the season, has signed a deal that will keep him at Pride Park until at least the summer of 2026.
Nelson has been a key part of everything Paul Warne has done since coming to the club, playing in every league game, be it Championship or League One, and proving he still has plenty left in the tank after become a free agent in 2023.
However, while Nelson continues to impress either in a back three or back four, there’s still some decisions to be made in the coming months, with eight players due to be out of contract at the end of the campaign – and the prospect of January coming when clubs from other Football Associations can open talks.
We run through the remaining players and predict whether they will emulate Nelson, or see their deals expire.
