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How Watford could line up for their first game back

Sports Mole looks at how Watford could line up for their first Premier League game back against Leicester City.

Watford will be looking to make it back-to-back home victories in the Premier League when they return to action against Leicester City on June 20.

The Hornets beat Liverpool in their last home game on February 29 but suffered a 1-0 loss at Crystal Palace in their final match before the 2019-20 campaign was called to a halt.

Nigel Pearson's side will return to action against Leicester later this month, and there is no downplaying the importance of the fixture as the team currently sit 17th in the table, only outside of the bottom three on goal difference, while 19th-placed Aston Villa have a game in hand.

Here, Sports Mole looks at how Watford could line up on their return.


POSS WAT XI vs LEI

Out: Gerard Deulofeu (knee), Daryl Janmaat (knee), Isaac Success (hamstring)
Doubtful: Jose Holebas (foot), Adrian Mariappa (coronavirus), Troy Deeney (personal)

> Click here for Watford's latest injury and suspension news ahead of this match

Watford will be far from at full-strength when they return to action, and it would perhaps be fair to say that their most important absentee is Spanish attacker Gerard Deulofeu.

The former Barcelona winger picked up a serious knee injury in the win over Liverpool at the end of February and faces a battle to return to action before the end of the season.

Daryl Janmaat and Isaac Success will also miss out, while Jose Holebas faces a battle to overcome a fractured foot in time for the fixture against the Foxes later this month.

Adrian Mariappa tested positive for coronavirus last month but has since overcome the issue and returned to training, while Troy Deeney is also expected to be available.

Deeney had initially signalled that he would not be returning to training amid the coronavirus pandemic, but the club captain has since joined his teammates at the club's London Colney base, and it is widely thought that the striker will be present when the Hornets return to action.

There are not expected to be many changes from the side that started against Palace back in March, meaning that the likes of Will Hughes, Kiko Femenia and Roberto Pereyra should again earn starting roles.

Ismaila Sarr has impressed for Watford this season, contributing five goals and four assists in 19 Premier League appearances, and the attacker is expected to feature on the left.

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Watford's Ismaila Sarr celebrates scoring their first goal on February 29, 2020
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Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
CLeicester CityLeicester463141189414897
3Leeds UnitedLeeds462791081433890
4Southampton462691187632487
5West Bromwich AlbionWest Brom4621121370472375
6Norwich CityNorwich4621101579641573
7Hull City461913146860870
8Middlesbrough46209177162969
9Coventry CityCoventry4617131670591164
10Preston North EndPreston46189195667-1163
11Bristol City461711185351262
12Cardiff CityCardiff46195225370-1762
13Millwall461611194555-1059
14Swansea CitySwansea461512195965-657
15Watford461317166161056
16Sunderland46168225254-256
17Stoke CityStoke461511204960-1156
18Queens Park RangersQPR461511204758-1156
19Blackburn RoversBlackburn461411216074-1453
20Sheffield WednesdaySheff Weds46158234468-2453
21Plymouth ArgylePlymouth461312215970-1151
RBirmingham CityBirmingham461311225065-1550
RHuddersfield TownHuddersfield46918194877-2945
RRotherham UnitedRotherham46512293789-5227


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