Both Tom Cleverley and Imran Louza are on course to return to action at the start of February.

Cleverley recently told the Watford Observer that February was his aim, but the news about Louza is a bonus.

The Morocco international would have been playing for his country at the World Cup but for a serious ankle injury sustained in the defeat at Millwall in mid-October.

The combination of a broken bone and ligament damage meant Louza was expected to be out for a long time, and while four months isn’t to be under played, a February return would be at the top end of what could have been hoped when he was stretchered off the pitch at The Den.

“Cleverley and Louza should be back in full training in mid-January, so hopefully if everything goes according to plan then early February they will be back and that will give us a massive boost,” said Bilic.

“They are a couple of really big and important players for us, on and off the pitch.”

The long-term injured players, with the exception of Dan Gosling as he is at the start of his recovery from surgery, were part of the group that travelled out to Spain during the World Cup break.

“It was important for them to feel close and to be part of the squad,” Bilic explained.

“They are improving, we don’t have so many players in plaster, we have less of those big boots you have to wear after surgery.

“A lot of the longer term injured players are now active, in the gym or in some cases out on the pitch.”

Striker Rey Manaj has resumed training with the squad, although defender Kortney Hause is “improving but he is still not where we want him to be” according to Bilic.

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