Will Hughes could return to the Watford starting line-up against Sheffield United on Saturday, as could Roberto Pereyra and Andre Gray. The ex-Derby County midfielder sat out last week’s 2-0 defeat at Wolverhampton Wanderers, but started on the left the week before in the 8-0 hammering at Manchester City.
Troy Deeney remains unavailable as he continues to recover from a knee operation, while Isaac Success is also struggling to feature against the Blades in a match which Quique Sanchez Flores’ side dare not lose.
Watford, who reached the FA Cup final last season and finished 11th in the Premier League, have taken just two points from their opening seven matches and Flores has urged the squad to treat every game like a final as they face a “must-win” match going into October’s international break.
“We are not preparing matches, we are preparing finals,” he told the media at his press conference on Friday. “We are conscious of the situation – it is not good at the moment. But the positive thing is we have many matches to play, many finals. So we have chances.”
Abdoulaye Doucoure has also spoken out about the need for individuals, including himself, to take on more responsibility on the pitch.
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Club skipper Deeney has missed the last seven matches in all competitions through a knee injury but Flores believes the talismanic striker will be available to him by the end of the month.
David McGoldrick remains out of contention for Sheffield United due to a groin injury, but Billy Sharp is available again after serving a three-game ban.
However, after their fine display against Liverpool last weekend, manager Chris Wilder may opt against making any changes to his starting line-up.
Wilder hailed the performances of forwards Callum Robinson and Oli McBurnie against Jurgen Klopp’s side, admitting he thought the combination caused Liverpool plenty of problems.
Lys Mousset could be an option to start against the Hornets after building up his fitness levels gradually following an injury that struck him shortly after his summer arrival from Bournemouth. “He gives us something different off the bench,” said Wilder. “He wants to play and we want him to start. That’s a decision that’s getting closer and tighter by the game.”
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