Nigel Clough named a much-changed team to the side that beat Norwich 2-1 at the Pirelli Stadium on Tuesday night.
With one eye on the Blackburn game on Friday Nigel Clough brought in Lloyd Dyer, Luke Varney and Matty Palmer to replace Michael Kightly, Luke Murphy and Marvin Sordell respectively.Derby County enjoyed plenty of the ball in the opening exchanges but it was the Brewers that created the first chance when Tom Naylor drilled in a low cross from the right but it only found a white shirt and the Rams managed to clear.
The home side went straight down the other end with Tom Ince fancying his chances as he flashed a shot just wide of Jon McLaughlin's goal.
Derby began to pick up a bit of momentum towards the latter stages of the second half but the Albion defence held out when, even when Cyrus Christie made a run into the box and let fly but the Brewers skipper John Mousinho was on hand to block the effort and clear away.
Burton Albion were very much set up to hit Derby on the counter attack, and that very nearly paid off when Lloyd Dyer delivered a cross from the left of which Luke Varney got a good head to but his effort was saved by Scott Carson in the Derby goal.
HT: Derby County 0-0 Burton Albion FC
Nigel Clough made a change at half time as Luke Murphy replaced Jackson Irvine in the middle of the park.
Jon McLaughlin didn't have a save to make in the first half, but he was called upon 30 seconds into the second half as Jacob Butterfield teed up a shot from 25 yards but the Albion stopper was athletic enough to tip it over the bar at full stretch.
The Brewers saw a bit more of the ball in the second half, and could have taken the lead with just over 20 minutes to go when a bobbling ball fell kindly to Lloyd Dyer who saw his shot flash across the face of goal and out for a throw in.
Luke Varney made his first start since his injury at Watford in the Emirates FA Cup, and he was replaced by Chris O'Grady with just over ten minutes to play.
Marvin Sordell was deployed in a wider role than usual, but he saw sight of the goal late on in the game as he controlled it brilliantly and let fly from distance but his effort was wide of Scott Carson's left-hand post.
Despite throwing the kitchen sink at Burton Albion in the second half, Derby County couldn't find the breakthrough, even when David Nugent tried a snapshot deep into stoppage time which bounced wide of Jon McLaughlin's post.
FT: Derby County 0-0 Burton Albion FC
Attendance: 31,081
Ash's man of the match: John Mousinho