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. Despite the precarity of the situation, Rooney implored fans not to panic as he believed "100% in this group of players and... 100% we'll stay in this division." Despite Rooney's confidence, and taking the lead through Tom Lawrence's second goal of the season, Derby crashed to a 2–1 defeat at Blackburn (Blackburn's first home win since January) to remain in trouble; Rooney was particularly aggrieved at being denied an injury-time penalty, the failure to award of which he described as "unacceptable". Rotherham's 1–0 defeat at home to Birmingham City, which reduced their games in hand to two, and the news that Martyn Waghorn would be available for selection for the next match, against Preston North End, after recovering from a hamstring injury was tempered by the news loanee Teden Mengi would return to parent-club Manchester United due to a season-ending injury. A 3–0 loss at Preston, in which Andre Wisdom limped off in the 34th-minute with what proved to be a season-ending groin injury was Derby's fourth reversal on the trot and left them just four points clear of relegation whilst handing Rotherham a further game in hand with which to catch them (though Rotherham lost this, 2–1 at home to Middlesbrough), with Rooney stating "Do I believe we can win the last three games? Yes, but we have to rely on Rotherham losing games. It is out of our hands." Rooney's belief proved misguided as, despite taking the lead through Colin Kazim-Richards first goal in two months, Derby crashed to a fifth consecutive defeat in their next game, 2–1 at home to Birmingham City, ending a nine-match undefeated streak against Blues; this result meant that Derby