Watford’s squad is feeling the strain more than ever as injuries continue to pile up ahead of tomorrow’s match against Oxford United. With the international break looming, the Hornets are struggling with a depleted lineup, forcing head coach Tom Cleverley to rely on a youthful bench for the upcoming fixture.
Ryan Andrews will face a late fitness test to determine if he can play, while Amin Nabizada has been ruled out for several weeks, meaning he will miss out on a call-up to the England U18 squad. Meanwhile, Angelo Ogbonna has undergone a minor medical procedure.
“We’ve had a couple that we’ve lost this week,” Cleverley admitted.
“Ryan is touch and go. He came off in the week with what we initially thought were muscle cramps, but we need to investigate further today before making a decision overnight.”
“Unfortunately, Amin has suffered a muscle injury, which not only rules him out of England duty but also puts his FA Youth Cup semi-final participation in doubt. The injury should sideline him for about three weeks, and that game is in three and a half weeks, so it’ll be close.”
“As for Angelo, he has undergone a minor medical procedure due to a small illness.”
With the squad already thin, these fresh injury setbacks leave Cleverley in a difficult position. For the first time this season, he acknowledges that Watford are genuinely short on numbers, forcing him to lean heavily on young players for the trip to the Kassam Stadium.
“It’s something I’ve not complained about all season, but this is the first time I can genuinely say we’re thin in the squad,” he said.
“We’ll have four, maybe five teenagers on the bench tomorrow. But rather than seeing this as an excuse, it’s an opportunity to build togetherness. When you’re up against it, you need to roll your sleeves up and foster a tight-knit mentality.”
Reinforcements Expected After the Break
Despite the current difficulties, there is some light at the end of the tunnel. Several key players are expected to return after the international break, giving Watford a much-needed boost.
“That’s a positive—players will be coming back after the break,” Cleverley said.
“Tomorrow should be the last game that Kwadwo Baah misses, so we expect him back for the home game against Plymouth. Pierre Dwomoh and Dan Bachmann will return to training over the next two weeks. Dan should be available for the next game, while Pierre is about a week behind schedule. Kevin Keben and Mamadou Doumbia will be back after that, likely in April.”
Bayo Returns After Emotional Week
One player who is back in contention is Vakoun Bayo, who made a brief return to the squad on Wednesday night after becoming a father. His availability was uncertain ahead of that match due to the emotional nature of the occasion.
“He’s back in training as normal after what was obviously a very emotional day,” Cleverley revealed. “That played a part in my decision-making for the team on Wednesday because we weren’t sure if Bayo would make it to the stadium in time. But something I will always encourage players to do is be present for the birth of their child.”
With a stretched squad, Cleverley will be hoping his side can dig deep against Oxford before regrouping and welcoming back reinforcements after the international break.
