Derby handed further nine-point deduction by EFL for breaching finance rules

Relegation a clear probability with no room for appeal

Both Derby and the EFL say the decision to accept points deductions was necessary to move past ‘historical issues’ and find a new buyer for the club (Getty)

Derby County have been handed a further nine-point penalty for the current season, plus another three points suspended, after “admitting to breaches of the League’s Profitability and Sustainability rules”.

It means the Championship side have been deducted 21 points in total for the 2021-22 campaign, leaving them on minus three in the current standings, 18 adrift of safety and facing the increasingly likely prospect of relegation.

The Rams had initially appealed their original 12-point deduction, but the club’s administrators have now agreed to dismiss that appeal, so the full tally of 21 points removed will be implemented immediately.

A further three points will be taken off if “the club does not comply with the terms of the budget as set out in the ‘agreed decision’ for the remainder of season 2021-22”, a statement confirmed.

There is also no further room for appeal of the deductions under EFL rules.

Both Derby and the EFL say the decision to accept points deductions was necessary to move past “historical issues” and find a new buyer for the club, as well as continuing the “restructuring strategy” of the organisation behind the scenes.

On the pitch, Wayne Rooney’s team have only lost two of their last eight league matches, but victories have been hard to come by.

Their nearest rival in the Championship table are Barnsley, who have 11 points from 17 games – the Rams would be outside the relegation zone in 20th in the current standings out of the 24 clubs if they had not had any points removed.