Not so long ago, Derby seemed well on their way to the greatest of escapes having closed the gap on 21st-placed Reading, but the mood has now changed at Pride Park.
At a time when the Rams have suffered three successive defeats, Reading and Saturday’s opponents have both found some form, only leaving Derby above bottom place on goal difference.
With 11 matches remaining, the gap to safety stands at eight points, not an irretrievable situation by any means but one which requires an immediate upturn in fortunes.
There remains an air of uncertainty regarding matters off the pitch, but Wayne Rooney can only afford to focus on trying to guide his team to a minimum of six wins from 11 games.
Derby’s only goal in three games has been from a Millwall player putting through his own net, with Luke Plange failing to score in seven appearances since he completed a transfer to Crystal Palace at the end of the January window.
After a 13-match winless streak, Barnsley had been written off with regards to staying in the Championship, and it felt realistic that Poya Asbaghi could depart the club without register a league win.
However, the Tykes have remarkably flipped the form book on its head, with victories being recorded over Queens Park Rangers, Hull City and Middlesbrough.
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Still possessing a game in hand, Barnsley now only sit six points adrift of Reading, with the Royals due to travel to Oakwell on April 2.
While Asbaghi will insist on taking one game at a time, there is now real hope that the Yorkshire outfit can replace Derby in pulling off one of the greatest escapes that the EFL has ever seen.
January arrival Amine Bassi chipped in with two goals and an assist during the five-goal thriller versus Middlesbrough, setting the standard ahead of the run-in
