Sam Winnall’s 13th minute header has given Derby County a 1-0 half-time lead over the Blues at Portman Road.
Bersant Celina, Jordan Spence, Kevin Bru and Grant Ward all returned to the Town starting line-up with David McGoldrick, Dominic Iorfa and Freddie Sears dropping to the bench, while Teddy Bishop is out for the season due to a hamstring injury which requires surgery.
Bru joined Callum Connolly in the centre of midfield with Spence coming into his usual right-back role and Celina and Ward either side of Martyn Waghorn in the trio behind lone striker Joe Garner.
Derby, who arrived at Portman Road late, made five changes with Winnall, ex-Blues loanee Tom Lawrence, Andre Wisdom, George Thorne, Johnny Russell all starting.
Former Canary Bradley Johnson and Wales international Joe Ledley both missed out with back problems, while Town nemesis David Nugent - scorer of 15 goals in 16 games against Town and 10 in eight matches at Portman Road - Chris Baird and Andreas Weimann dropped to the bench.
Garner struck the game’s first shot as the 10th minute approached after an uneventful opening to the game. However, the former Forest man’s shot deflected harmlessly through to Scott Carson in the Derby goal.
Three minutes later, the Rams went in front via their first attempt of the match. Lawrence sent over a deep corner from the right, Sam Winnall reached the ball ahead of Jonas Knudsen and the striker’s guided header just crept into the corner of the net.
The former Walsall and Sheffield Wednesday frontman’s sixth goal of the season looked like one the Blues really ought to have prevented.
Derby should have made it 2-0 almost immediately after skipper Luke Chambers and Adam Webster left a Rams through ball for one another just inside the Town half, allowing Matej Vydra a free run on goal. The former Watford man looked certain to double their lead but as Bartosz Bialkowski advanced he shot wildly over. It was a major let-off for the Blues.
Connolly looped a header towards goal from a Celina freekick on the left in the 18th minute, Carson claiming before he was fouled by Garner.
But the visitors were continuing to present the greater threat with Vydra finding space to shoot from the right of the area a minute later, however, Bialkowski was able his effort away.
On 26 Thorne unleashed a ferocious strike from distance which flew only just over Bialkowski’s bar.
Derby continued to dominate and Lawrence went close to adding to their lead three minutes later. Russell cleverly cut the ball back to him from the byline on the right and Chambers dived in to make a vital block from the ex-Town loanee’s goal-bound strike.
Town weren’t far away from an equaliser as the match reached the half-hour mark. Waghorn sent over a corner from the right and Connolly, who scored the only goal when the teams met at Pride Park last month, sent a looping header towards goal only for Lawrence to nod off the line.
Vydra diverted a cross from the right well wide on 36, then a minute later Huddlestone hit Winnall with a shot from the edge of the box, referee Oliver Langford irking the Blues players by pulling play back for the freekick when they were breaking.
The Town goal was at times living a charmed life. In the 39th minute Vydra cut the ball back from the right from the byline inside the six-yard box and Spence was able to clear from just in front of the line ahead of Winnall.
A minute later Town threatened on the break for the first time, Celina taking the ball forward at pace before turning inside and eventually hitting a shot not too far wide of Carson’s left post.
Soon after, Connolly struck another effort which deflected behind for a corner which the Derby keeper claimed at the second attempt.
But Derby were still looking the most likely scorers of the second goal and on 40 Winnall hit a shot from an angle on the right which Bialkowski helped wide. Webster was subsequently booked for a foul on Vydra in the build-up.
After one minute of injury time the half-time whistle was greeted by boos from some sections of the Blues support.
Derby had dominated the half, were good for their lead and really ought to have been even further in front given the chances they had created after Winnall’s opener.
Town had toiled for the most part, struggling to get out of their own half for long spells with Celina’s long-distance effort and Connolly’s looping header the nearest they had come to an equaliser.
Town: Bialkowski, Spence, Chambers (c), Webster, Knudsen, Connolly, Bru, Ward, Waghorn, Celina, Garner. Subs: M Crowe, Iorfa, T Smith, McGoldrick, Sears, Kenlock, McDonnell.
Derby: Carson, Wisdom, Davies, Keogh (c), Forsyth, Huddlestone, Thorne, Russell, Vydra, Lawrence, Winnall. Subs: Mitchell, Martin, Baird, Pearce, Weimann, Nugent, Olsson. Referee: Oliver Langford (West Midlands).