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Derby County have 11 players out of contract at the end of the season, and John Eustace will already have been drawing up his plans for who deserves a new deal at Pride Park.
Kane Wilson and Matt Clarke are just two of those who will depart the club in the summer if nothing is done about their current situation and supporters will be keen to see the duo stay, while Craig Forsyth may make his final Derby appearance.
However, more pressing issues will be on the mind of the Rams this weekend, as they prepare for their final game of the 2024/25 campaign against Stoke City, knowing that a win will secure their place in the Championship for next season.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 16 |  PortsmouthPortsmouth | 45 | 14 | 11 | 20 | 57 | 70 | -13 | 53 |
| 17 |  Oxford UnitedOxford United | 45 | 13 | 13 | 19 | 46 | 62 | -16 | 52 |
| 18 |  Stoke CityStoke City | 45 | 12 | 14 | 19 | 45 | 62 | -17 | 50 |
| 19 |  DerbyDerby | 45 | 13 | 10 | 22 | 48 | 56 | -8 | 49 |
| 20 |  PrestonPreston | 45 | 10 | 19 | 16 | 46 | 57 | -11 | 49 |
| 21 |  LutonLuton | 45 | 13 | 10 | 22 | 42 | 64 | -22 | 49 |
| 22 |  Hull CityHull City | 45 | 12 | 12 | 21 | 43 | 53 | -10 | 48 |
Derby head into the game off the back of two successive wins on the road, and momentum is in their hands as they look to leapfrog their opponents, with it still possible that they could finish as high as 17th.
Nevertheless, come Monday morning, Eustace and the rest of the backroom staff will have a decision to make on the future of the club’s young player of the year.
Derby County supporters are in agreement about Liam Thompson’s future
Liam Thompson has excelled in the Championship this season after featuring as a bit-part player in previous campaigns under Paul Warne and Wayne Rooney. However, he has been entrusted by his head coach to take charge of the midfield alongside Ebou Adams and Harrison Armstrong.
Derby look a better team with the 23-year-old in it, and his return to the starting XI at the start of March coincided with an upturn in form for the Rams.
But he will leave the club at the end of June if he is not offered a new contract at Pride Park, and supporters on X are keen to see the young midfielder stay on.
One fan wrote: “Sign him up”
Another simply put: “Well deserved as well.”
“Brilliant news, well do,” another Derby supporter stated.
While a sixth replied: “Well done Liam, congrats pal.”
And with Thompson’s presence so greatly felt in the middle of the park, one fan wrote: “Totally deserved by a mile.”
Liam Thompson’s influence on this Derby County team is clear to see
It’s been an incredible couple of months for the Rams, and with just two defeats in their last ten matches, they will head into Saturday’s clash full of confidence, despite Eustace’s poor record against Mark Robins.
Thompson has been revolutionary in that time, and it proved in the games against Portsmouth and Luton Town when he did not feature, just how important he is to the way Derby operate.
Handing him a new deal is paramount to the future of Eustace’s midfield, as he has the solid foundation needed to help push this Rams side forward in the years to come and supporters will not want to see another academy graduate leave the club.
Yet, staying in the Championship may be the only way Derby are able to ensure that they can keep hold of a player who is finally realising his potential.