Neither Andre Gray or Will Hughes will be available for tonight’s match with Derby County at Pride Park, despite Watford initially hoping to have the two back by now.

Head coach Vladimir Ivic confirmed that the players were both still injured, but said their returns were not far off, with Hughes expected back before Gray.

“[Gray] is not ready to play yet, we will see now in the next few days when he will be available,” said Ivic.

“He’s worked with the medical team and he’s now in the moment when we’re waiting for the medical team to give him to us to start to work with the team and I believe that will be in the next few days that he will come to be part of the team.

Harrow Times:

“After that, we need to have patience with him, we need to work with him until he will be in a good condition and he will be with us and he can give us what he can.”

Hughes has returned to training, but is still not able to play just yet.

“It’s the same situation for [Hughes] but I believe that he will be available maybe a few days earlier than Andre Gray,” said the head coach. “He’s started to work with us now, he had some part in the practise in the previous week with us and I hope and I believe that he will give us this quality that we need in the pitch.

“We just need to wait to see when he will be ready to play and when I say this, I mean that I’m not someone who will take risks now in this moment to put some players out before they will be available to give us their maximum.”