Watford are likely to be without three key players this weekend as they face West Ham.
On Thursday afternoon the club announced that Troy Deeney will be out of action for at least two months after undergoing a knee operation, but head coach Javi Gracia has also since revealed that both Abdoulaye Doucoure and Roberto Pereyra have not trained with the team since last weekend’s defeat to Everton and are unlikely to be involved this weekend, unless they can pass late fitness tests.
Speaking a pre-match press conference the Watford manager revealed:
“We have other players waiting and I trust all of them. We are ready to compete without Troy. We’ll miss him, we are waiting until he’s back, but we have to be ready to compete against West Ham. All of them are important players for us, but you don’t decide the moment when the players are injured and then you have to be ready to compete with the players you have. I think it’s a good moment to show how good we are as a squad and for other players to show their quality.”
If Doucoure can’t start he is the biggest loss for them, a bit like us and Spuds, Watford love to put one over on us, whoever is fit for them I am sure it will be a tough game and Deulofeu is a handful no matter who else is in the squad.
This ought to change the odds, but it is really difficult at the moment to decide where we stand. After a full season under one manager & a summer transfer window that didn’t involve a lot of changes the Hammers are difficult to pin down as better/worse/no change. I would have expected Watford to beat us at their ground for most of last season ( except for an end of season game when they had a cup final coming up!) But I am really undecided now. It is a great chance to get the season started & end the horrible feeling of another dismal opening month, & with those 3 missing a defeat will be a real blow & a draw will be disappointing. Hope for the best…….