Watford will be without their captain Troy Deeney for several weeks after the striker injured his hamstring at Blackpool on Tuesday, but will welcome back Fernando Forestieri and Gianni Munari for the visit of Bournemouth.
The Hornets skipper and reigning player of the year, who is the club’s joint-top scorer this season with three goals, hobbled off in the dying minutes of Tuesday night’s 1-0 win over Blackpool after injuring his hamstring.
Deeney will miss Saturday’s visit from the Cherries (kick-off 12.15pm) and is undergoing further assessment from Watford’s medical staff. But the club did confirm he will be out for "a matter of weeks".
An ever-present this season until now, Deeney has started every Championship fixture since he missed the 1-0 home defeat by Bolton Wanderers on November 23 - a run of 36 consecutive matches.
Keith Andrews is also sidelined with a calf problem picked up prior to Saturday’s 1-0 defeat at Charlton Athletic.
There is better news regarding Forestieri and Munari, who have both struggled with hamstring problems.
After missing the Hornets’ last two games, the diminutive forward is once more available for selection to Ruben Martinez and Javier Pereira, who will again lead the team in Oscar Garcia’s absence.
On-loan Parma midfielder Munari is also fit once more, the midfielder having also been ruled out of Watford’s last two fixtures.
Second-year professional Bernard Mensah is back training with the first-team squad following a long-term knee injury, whilst Uche Ikpeazu is continuing his rehabilitation from ankle surgery and is yet to join in full training.
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