Derby County: Paul Warne must avoid handing Wayne Rooney a Plymouth Argyle milestone | OneFootball

The Pilgrims currently sit bottom of the away form table, and are the only side without a win on the road this season.

Paul Warne's Derby County will be looking to return to winning ways at home on Saturday afternoon when they welcome Plymouth Argyle to Pride Park Stadium.

The Rams drew 1-1 with Hull City in their last game on their own patch before losing away at Stoke City, and then finally getting that all-important first victory on the road against Coventry City on Wednesday evening at the CBS Arena.

It's a result that has seen them rise to 13th in the table, putting three points between themselves and the Pilgrims who currently occupy the final relegation spot in the Championship, with Warne's side knowing that victory could see them go clear of the pack towards the lower end of the league.

However, it will be a game that Wayne Rooney will be excited about after he spent two years with Derby as both a player and then manager. Under his tenureship, the Rams were relegated to League One, but only due to a 21-point deduction following administration and financial irregularities.

Not only is it a must-win game for both sides, it is also one that will have huge consequences on the outlook of the table.

Derby must not allow Plymouth to get their first away win

While the start of the season had been a difficult one for Plymouth, in recent weeks they have started to find the results that their effort levels have deserved, scoring a huge victory over bottom of the table Portsmouth on Tuesday at Home Park.

However, it has been in Devon where the strengths have been this campaign, with away points incredibly difficult to come by.

The Pilgrims have picked up just a solitary point on the road this season, while also scoring only one goal, conceding 16 times in seven matches. It has been something that has been an issue for Argyle in the past, with Plymouth winning just three times on their travels in 2023/24.

Games are coming thick and fast in the Championship at the moment, and a visit to Pride Park will be incredibly difficult considering how strong Derby are at home, and the Rams must ensure they do not help out their former manager on Saturday.

Giving their opponents their first away win could give them momentum, and with how close the mid-table pack is currently, that could have a dire impact on the Rams' own league position ahead of the final international break of 2024.

Derby have helped themselves with first away win

There will be a lot of focus on the link between Rooney and Derby this weekend, but that should not distract from the fact that the Rams were fantastic in midweek against Coventry, and have stopped themselves from one potential statistic.

If Warne's side had not overcome the challenge of the Sky Blues on Wednesday, and were on the losing side of the game, a victory for Plymouth at Pride Park would have seen the East Midlands club drop to the bottom of the away table.

Instead, Argyle remain one of the five teams without a win on the road, but the only one to have not picked up more than one point.

Jerry Yates' excellent awareness to give the Rams the lead at the CBS Arena, before his tenacity to play in the cross that was deflected in by Bobby Thomas, was commendable and more of that on Saturday will see his team to victory.

Nevertheless, Derby's loyal supporters will be well aware of the qualities that a Rooney side can have, and will be sure to give their former manager a warm welcome, without giving him a parting gift of all three points.