Derby County would face huge play-offs issue - it involves Ipswich Town and Southampton | OneFootball

Derby County are pursuing a top six finish, but if they do so, they may lose key stars for their play-off campaign.

At the start of the 2025/26 campaign, few would have foreseen Derby County making the push for the play-offs that they have done, and despite a rocky start to the season, they have given themselves an excellent chance with eight games to go.

The Rams are within touching distance of the top six, and with one of the better run-ins out of the sides looking to secure a play-off finish, they may well just sneak into those positions as the Championship edges towards its curtain closer.

However, with the likes of Birmingham City, Sheffield United and Coventry City still to play, John Eustace still has plenty of challenges ahead before he can even think about the play-offs, and consistency is needed in the next few weeks.

Nonetheless, there is a huge issue that Derby may face if they do finish in the top six alongside Ipswich Town and Southampton, and their head coach will be left with a huge selection headache for potentially three huge games if it does happen.

Derby County may lose two key players in the play-offs if they face Ipswich Town or Southampton

At this moment in time, the play-off picture looks relatively straightforward. Wrexham would face Ipswich in the semi-final, while Millwall and Hull City would meet in their own two-legged clash. Yet, there is still the possibility for sides such as the Rams and Southampton to sneak into the top six.

Both the Tigers and the Red Dragons are at risk of being caught by those below them, with the former finding consistency hard to come by at the moment, and the whole fixture list for the play-offs may change between now and the end of the season.

However, for Derby, if they do face Ipswich in the semi-final, they would lose Sammie Szmodics for both legs. The Republic of Ireland international is on loan from the Tractor Boys, and he would not be able to face his parent club - having missed out during the league fixture at Pride Park in February.

Meanwhile, if the Rams face Southampton, Ben Brereton Diaz would be unable to play. He has missed just one game since moving to Pride Park, and that was against the Saints. It's a situation that Eustace knows could arise, and it would have a significant impact on his starting XI for those potential matches.

How Derby County may set up in the play-offs against Ipswich Town or Southampton

Derby have played in a 4-2-3-1 setup for a number of weeks now, with Szmodics playing behind the striker since his arrival, while Brereton Diaz has the right-wing position locked down.

However, if the Chile international is unavailable in the play-offs, if the Rams do reach them and face Southampton, then Jaydon Banel would be the perfect replacement for him. The Burnley loanee is yet to have his first start for Eustace, but he is showing extremely positive signs and his pace on the right flank would be extremely difficult for the Saints to handle.

Meanwhile, if Derby play Ipswich, Bobby Clark is the most obvious like-for-like replacement in the attacking midfield position. The RB Salzburg loanee has enjoyed a really strong year at Pride Park, but he has not found the same consistency as he once had in the last few weeks.

The Rams do have cover, but there is a real risk that they could lose two of their key men in the play-offs if they finish in a top six position. Nevertheless, this is a problem that Eustace would love to have, and he will be hoping for a successful final eight games of the season.