Queens Park Rangers v Derby: play-off push meets mid-table consolidation | OneFootball

Queens Park Rangers host Derby County in the Championship on Saturday, 25 April 2026 at Loftus Road, with the visitors chasing the top six pack and the hosts seeking a response after back to back defeats.

Queens Park Rangers are 13th on 58 points, while Derby County sit eighth with 66. Derby won the reverse fixture 1-0 in October, adding a little extra edge to the meeting in west London.

Recent form is mixed on both sides. Queens Park Rangers have taken two points from their last three games, slipping to defeats against Millwall and Swansea. Derby have alternated results across five, losing three but beating Stoke and Oxford in between.

Injuries shape selection. Queens Park Rangers list Jimmy Dunne, Koki Saito, Karamoko Dembele, Kwame Poku and Ziyad Larkeche as out. The Rams are without Callum Elder, Rhian Brewster, Derry Murkin, Dion Sanderson, Bobby Clark and Patrick Agyemang, trimming their options across the back line and up front.

Routes to goal could hinge on Derby's aerial threat and delivery. The visitors have 17 headed goals and a 23.62% cross accuracy from open play, with Joe Ward on seven assists. For Queens Park Rangers, Rumarn Burrell's 10 league goals and Nicolas Madsen's six assists offer an open play route, though they have not scored from set pieces this season and may need width to stretch Derby.

A win would lift Derby to 69 points and could bring them closer to the play offs. Three points for Queens Park Rangers would take them to 61 and may nudge them up the table for a stronger finish.