Omer Riza's 'permanent' reign as Cardiff boss begins here, with the Bluebirds now on a five-match winless streak and casting nervous glances at the relegation zone just two points below them.
Riza, whose appointment until the end of the season was confirmed on Thursday, guided Cardiff to four wins from six games after taking temporary charge in the wake of Erol Bulut's dismissal - and they need to regain that kind of form to avoid sinking into the bottom three.
Opponents Watford have climbed to sixth place with a run of four wins from seven games - but their only defeat during that sequence was sustained in South Wales, a 1-0 reverse to Swansea last month.