Javi Gracia praised Nathaniel Chalobah after the midfielder made his first Premier League start since early December against Chelsea.
Chalobah is still trying to get his career back on track after a fractured kneecap ruled him out for the majority of the 2017-18 season.
He has endured another frustrating campaign for the Hornets, with just nine top-flight outings and three starts.
The 24-year-old was given the green light to feature from the first whistle against the Blues at Stamford Bridge, though, and played 67 minutes of the 3-0 defeat.
Despite the scoreline, Watford performed well and Gracia reserved praise for Chalobah’s display after so little game time in recent months. “I think he played really well,” said the Spaniard. “In the moment they [were losing 2-0] I made the substitution, but I think he played really well and it wasn’t easy because he went a long time without playing.
Related: Gracia Confirms Capoue Absence
But in my opinion it was a very good performance.” The man with one England cap to his name has been linked with a few other clubs but, after such a long time away from the limelight, it seems likely that he will remain at Vicarage Road to try and force his way back into the first-team picture on a regular basis.
