A two-month injury lay-off has not stopped Christian Kabasele giving his thoughts on his time at Watford, with the 25-year-old on a 'difficult' start to his career at Vicarage Road.

Kabasele only started a single game until December after a £6 million move from Genk in the summer, and even then, was only drafted in from the cold once an injury crisis engulfed Vicarage Road at the end of 2016.

It is not something which has disheartened the Belgium international, though, and in an interview with public broadcaster RBTF said it had inspired him to knuckle down.

He said: "After three difficult months in Watford, I got into the tream and I am even the 3rd-highest scorer in the team in spite of my rather short playing time, I did not lose the reflexes of being an attacker.

"I am no longer a guest, I consider myself a member of the core and if I am not taken back, it makes me work more on my failures."

Speaking about the transition between life in the Belgian top flight and the Premier League, Kabasele mentioned a surprise name - and one of Watford's next opponents - as among the hardest tests he has faced since joining the Hornets.

He said: "I was mentally prepared to take the plunge and once I got over the pace of the matches I did not have too many problems, even if the attackers are much faster than in Belgium.

"Facing an Aguero, Costa or Mane does not leave you a second of respite, so I need what my friends call home "the buffalo race". That is, my ability to chase down escaped forwards.

"Against Victor Anichebe I had the most trouble, but for me Romelu [Lukaku] is the best striker in the Premier League."