Derby County are still on the hunt for their first victory of the 2025/26 Championship campaign, and they make the trip to Ipswich Town this weekend as they seek out three valuable points.
The Tractor Boys have won their last two games against the Rams, but they have struggled to find any sort of form since they were relegated back to the second tier at the end of last season.
John Eustace is closing in on the signing of Max Johnston, while Lewis Travis looks set to become the next new face at Pride Park.
However, Derby are going to have to be at their best to contain Ipswich at Portman Road and there is one key player who Eustace knows all about who could be the difference maker in Suffolk.
Derby County must find a way to contain Sammie Szmodics vs Ipswich Town
While it has not been the best of starts for the Tractor Boys, there is no denying the quality that they have in the attacking third.
Chuba Akpom will be a threat, with George Hirst also a real danger. However, Sammie Szmodics will be raring to go against his former head coach, with the versatile attacker still searching for his first goal this season.
He suffered an arm injury against Southampton during a 1-1 draw earlier in August, but he showed great determination to get himself fit and ready for the clash against Preston North End on Saturday.
In Szmodics’ last Championship campaign, he scored 27 goals in 44 games and without him, Blackburn Rovers would have suffered relegation to League One. Eustace knows exactly what the 29-year-old can offer and he will have to get his defence prepared for the quick transitions that the ex-Coventry City man can lead.
Sammie Szmodics is a huge fan of John Eustace
Saturday will see the Derby head coach reunite with Szmodics, just over 12 months since they went their separate ways as the player joined Ipswich.
However, the Tractor Boys’ number 23 will still hold his former boss in high regard after Eustace allowed the forward to miss out on pre-season games at Blackburn, as a move to the Premier League started to take shape last summer.
Szmodics said of Eustace in June (via: StillTalkingPodcast): “I refused to play. I don’t mind saying that now. I tried to be the best I could be at Blackburn but I wanted to move to Ipswich because it’s the Premier League. Like I said, it’s my dream.
“It’s back home for me, Ipswich as a club is amazing. The club Blackburn is amazing. When I was refusing to play I went to see John Eustace who was absolutely unbelievable with me.
“I went to see him and said ‘listen, I don’t want to disrespect the staff, the players, but I don’t want to take any part in the pre-season games’, and he said ‘that’s absolutely fine, I’ll protect you and I’ll help you with whatever you want’.
“Which, for me, he could have easily said like who do you think you are? Which is not me. It’s not my character. Then it got to obviously the beginning of the season and the Ipswich move hadn’t come off yet.
“He said the season’s starting, so I remember sitting with my agent thinking I’ve got to play, I can’t just refuse to play. I remember being on the bench against Derby first game of the season, I was like I’m on the bench and I’ve finished top scorer in the Championship last season.
“I’ve put myself on the bench by my actions. But I came on, scored and then he (Eustace) said you’re playing on Tuesday night. He said you’re not refusing to play against Stockport in the cup. I started, scored two and Ipswich came back in and it all happened.”
