Opponent Watch: Watford set to have Ismaila Sarr, Nicolas Nkoulou, and Ben Foster out with injury for Chelsea clash
According to football.london, Watford will have Ismaila Sarr, Nicolas Nkoulou, and Ben Foster out with injury for the game against Chelsea on Wednesday.
The Hornets will be looking to bounce back against the Blues after their 4-2 defeat against Leicester City on the weekend. However, it will be an uphill task given that three of their main stars shall be out of for the game.
Sarr is the joint top scorer (5) at Vicarage Road this season, alongside Joshua King and Emmanuel Dennis. The Senegalese has been the driving force in the 12 games he has featured this season.
Ben Foster would also be a big miss for them, given his reflex saves between the posts. The English goalkeeper has been crucial for them and has dug them out of tight spots this season. Watford have won two out of the three games Nkoulou has featured in this term, indicating his importance to the side.
Thus, the men in yellow may be wounded animals but do have the intensity to beat the best in their backyard.
Chelsea have their fair share of injury trouble
Watford may have their three stars out for the clash, but the London outfit is in the same boat. Thomas Tuchel confirmed on Tuesday that Mateo Kovacic, Ben Chilwell, and N’Golo Kante will also be out for the encounter against the Hornets.
To add to this, Jorginho, Timo Werner, and Reece James are also potential doubts. This would be a huge worry for our German boss as he could be heading into the game with as many as six first-team stars unavailable for selection.
We do have the depth to combat this, but it is not something Tuchel would have planned on delving into so early into our tight fixture schedule. Following the game against the Hornets, we shall have nine games in the space of 29 days.
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The games are coming fast and heavy, and we need our players back from injuries. The draw against Man United on the weekend meant that Man City and Liverpool shall be breathing down our necks week after week. The Blues need to maintain consistency, and the return of some of our key players in the coming weeks shall play a crucial role in doing so.
As for now, the best we can do is put this Watford side to the sword. Sitting 17th in the table and now without three of their key stars for this game, nothing except a win at Vicarage Road would be an acceptable result for the Premier League leaders.
