Two clubs carrying the weight of poor starts to the Championship season meet at Turf Moor on Saturday (15:00 BST), and for both Burnley and Derby County the fixture has taken on a significance that feels larger than a mid-September league game ordinarily should.

A match neither can afford to lose

Burnley sit bottom of the division without a single win to show for their opening run of fixtures. Derby are not far behind in terms of anxiety: four points from seven games and a three-match losing streak that has left the Rams' supporters growing increasingly restless. The gap between early-season wobbles and genuine relegation concern is a narrow one, and Saturday's meeting threatens to edge one or both clubs a little further in the wrong direction.

It is worth noting how each club arrived here. Burnley were relegated from the Premier League last season and are still, by most measures, among the better-resourced squads in the division. The expectation at Turf Moor was for a strong promotion push, not a stationary position at the foot of the table. Head coach Scott Hayen has acknowledged publicly that the results have not been good enough, and the pressure on his position has been well documented in recent weeks.

Derby, meanwhile, missed out on the play-offs on the final day of last season and began the current campaign with reasonable optimism. A run of three straight defeats has stripped much of that away.

Zetterstrom blow compounds Derby's defensive worries

Matters have been made worse for Derby by the confirmation that Swedish international goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterstrom will miss Saturday's trip to Burnley with a knee problem. Zetterstrom has been one of the Rams' more reliable performers, and his absence arrives at the worst possible moment given that Derby's defensive record is already under scrutiny.

"The defensive aspect for Derby at the moment is under scrutiny, we are conceding goals, and to lose your first-choice goalkeeper is a big blow," former Rams academy coach Darren Robinson told BBC Radio Derby. That assessment is hard to argue with. Derby have been shipping goals at a rate that would alarm any backline, and asking a replacement keeper to stem the flow in a high-pressure away fixture is a significant ask.

West Brom's derby confidence at Molineux

Across the division, Sunday brings the Black Country derby as Wolves host West Bromwich Albion at Molineux (12:00 BST). It is the first meeting at that ground since 2021, and the occasion carries the usual freight of local pride.

West Brom arrive in notably better spirits than their hosts. Manager James Morrison, who played in Albion's famous 5-1 victory at Molineux in 2012, will be hoping that historical precedent at that particular ground works in the Baggies' favour once again. Morrison has West Brom flying in the Championship, and this is an opportunity to underline their credentials at a venue where they have recent happy memories.

Wolves, by contrast, have had to contend with an injury-hit squad. Striker Raul Jimenez has been ruled out of the derby, which represents a notable absence up front. Losing your leading forward for a fixture of this intensity is not the sort of preparation any manager welcomes.

What the table says

Neither of Saturday's match involving our four clubs will settle the Championship title, but both could have an outsized effect on confidence and momentum. A first win for Burnley would breathe life into what has felt like a suffocating start and perhaps ease the scrutiny on Hayen. A Derby victory would arrest a slide that, if it continues, will start to look like more than a blip.

West Brom, currently among the early pace-setters, have the chance on Sunday to signal that their form is no accident. A derby win away from home would be precisely the sort of result that cements a reputation. Wolves, at home, need the points and the confidence that comes from beating the team down the road.

Both fixtures kick off at times that guarantee a full weekend of Championship scrutiny. The table will look rather different by Sunday evening.

Frequently asked

Is Jacob Widell Zetterstrom playing for Derby County this weekend?
No. Zetterstrom has been ruled out of Derby's Championship trip to Burnley on Saturday with a knee problem.
When is the Black Country derby between Wolves and West Brom?
The Championship fixture at Molineux kicks off at 12:00 BST on Sunday.
Why are Burnley bottom of the Championship?
Burnley have yet to win a game this season and head coach Scott Hayen has been under growing pressure as results have failed to improve.