Charlton Athletic v Derby: bottom-half lift meets play-off push | OneFootball

Charlton Athletic host Derby County in the Championship at The Valley on Tuesday, 20 January 2026, with the hosts seeking breathing space from the lower positions and the visitors aiming to edge towards the play-off picture.

Charlton Athletic and Derby County drew 1-1 in September's reverse fixture, and this meeting pairs 18th against 12th with valuable momentum on the line.

Charlton Athletic have built some traction, beating Sheffield United after draws with Blackburn Rovers and Coventry City. Derby won at Preston North End following a home defeat to Wrexham, having earlier beaten Middlesbrough, drawn at Birmingham City and lost at Leicester City.

Charlton Athletic list Onel Hernández, Amari Bell, Harvey Knibbs and Josh Edwards as injured. Derby are also short-handed, with Danny Batth, goalkeeper Josh Vickers and leading scorer Carlton Morris sidelined, the latter out until 22 February after scoring 10 league goals. In Morris' absence, Patrick Agyemang and creator Joe Ward, who has five assists, carry added weight.

Derby have scored 36 league goals and are strong in the air with 11 headed goals and 22.75% cross accuracy, so wide deliveries could be a route. Charlton Athletic average 43% possession and have eight clean sheets, suggesting a compact shape and counters may suit against Derby's front line.

A home win would move Charlton Athletic to 35 points and could push them further from the relegation places. Victory for the Rams would take them to 41 points, which could lift them into the top half and closer to the play-off spots.