Fri 08 Aug - Posted in Breaking News
Time to read: 4mins
Derby County will begin their 2025/26 Sky Bet Championship campaign with a trip to the bet365 Stadium to face Stoke City on Saturday afternoon (3pm kick-off).
John Eustace’s side will head to the Potteries to commence the season following a 2-0 win over Greek top-flight side Atromitos at Pride Park Stadium last weekend to round off their run of friendlies ahead of the new campaign.
Derby have added ten new faces to their squad ahead of the start of the campaign, with the most recent additions being the loan signings of Bobby Clark and Dion Sanderson earlier this week..
The away trip to Stoke will get the new season started before the Rams head to the Hawthorns for Carabao Cup Round One action against West Bromwich Albion on Tuesday 12th August (7:45pm kick-off).
Derby will first head out onto the Pride Park Stadium pitch in league action for the first time this term when they host Coventry City on Saturday 16th August (12:30pm kick-off).
Derby will be backed by a sold-out away end of over 3,300 supporters in ST4 on Saturday.
Those fans without a ticket are advised not to make the trip to Stoke, as they will be unable to gain access to the stadium.
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A fellow inaugural member of the English Football League, Stoke City, founded in 1863, are entering their eighth season in the Sky Bet Championship, following their relegation from the Premier League in 2017/18 after a decade in the top-flight.
Despite hoping for an immediate return to the top level under former Rams boss Gary Rowett in 2018/19, Stoke haven’t finished above 14th place since coming down to the second tier, but they are feeling positive about changing that fact this term.
Current boss Mark Robins joined the Staffordshire club in January 2025 and helped the Potters secure their Championship status with a 0-0 draw at Pride Park against Derby back in May.
So far, Stoke have added six players in Robins’ first summer window as manager.
Welsh international Sorba Thomas was the first new recruit through the door earlier in the summer. In defence, centre-back Maksym Taloverov joined from Plymouth Argyle, while experienced Premier League left-back Aaron Cresswell arrived on a free from West Ham United.
In the forward department, the Potters have added Boavista striker Róbert Boženík, as well as attacking midfielder Jamie Donley and Divin Mubama on loan from Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City, respectively.
Derby and Stoke have some familiar faces heading to the bet365 Stadium at the weekend - with the clubs sharing multiple links over the years.
Rams Head Coach John Eustace played for Stoke from 2003 to 2008 and racked up 84 appearances in red and white before moving on to Watford and then Derby.
Derby’s second signing of the summer, Danny Batth, spent four seasons in the heart of defence for Stoke, having joined in 2018/19.
While the Potters’ squad boasts veteran former Rams shot-stopper Frank Fielding. The now-37-year-old made 80 outings for Derby between 2010 and 2013.
Head Coach John Eustace caught up with RamsTVahead of Saturday’s curtain raiser.
Defender Danny Batth caught up with RamsTV to reflect on pre-season and look ahead to facing his former club.
Elliot Bell will take charge of the fixture at the bet365 Stadium. Last season, he oversaw 44 matches in total, handing out 182 yellow cards and two reds.
Bell has held the whistle in a Rams game on one previous occasion, officiating February 2024’s home fixture with Millwall in the second tier.
Ian Cooper and David Harrison will be the assistant referees, while Scott Jackson will take on the fourth official role.
Live audio commentary for all of Derby County’s first team matches in the 2025/26 season - both league and cup fixtures - is available to RamsTV Audio subscribers based both in the UK and internationally.
Information about RamsTV's Video Live Streaming and other services for this game can be found here.
RamsTV's Match highlights will be available on dcfc.co.uk and the Derby County App shortly after the game.
