Derby resumed the Championship campaign on Good Friday with a 2–0 home victory over Luton Town and a 3–1 defeat to play-off chasing Reading on Easter Monday which saw then end the Easter programme eight points clear of the relegation zone with six games remaining, though every team below them bar bottom-placed Wycombe Wanderers had games in hand. The squad was also beginning to pick up injuries; during the Luton victory Lee Gregory picked up a season-ending hamstring injury, whilst Martyn Waghorn (hamstring) and Matt Clarke (compacted groin) were both ruled out for a number of weeks. Following this, the Reading defeat saw Nathan Byrne suffer a concussion, ruling him out for seven days under EFL concussion rules, and Jack Stretton, fresh from a successful loan spell at Stockport County, went off with an ankle injury less than twenty minutes after coming on as substitute. Coupled with the long-term absences of Jordan Ibe, Krystian Bielik, George Edmundson and Curtis Davies this left Derby short of nine of their first team squad for the visit of league leaders Norwich City and 11/2 sixth favourites for relegation. Former-Derby loanee Kieran Dowell's 21st-minute free-kick was the difference as Norwich edged past The Rams 1–0 at Pride Park and saw Derby drop to 20th in the table and seven points clear of the relegation zone after Rotherham United gained a point on them following a 0–0 draw with Huddersfield Town. In the week prior to Derby's trip to Blackburn (which was rearranged to Friday 16 April from Saturday 17 April to avoid clashing with the funeral of Prince Philip) Rotherham played two of their four games in hand - a 3–1 victory over Queens Park Rangers and a 1–0 defeat to Coventry City- which reduced the gap between them and Derby to just four points, with Rotheram in 22nd on 39 points from 39 games and Derby in 21st with 43 points from 41 games.