Watford are still waiting for the full verdict on Roberto Pereyra's knee problem, though manager Walter Mazzarri is already resigned to losing the ex-Juventus midfielder for an extended period.
The 25-year-old Argentinian, who signed from Juve over the summer, had started to impress with the Hornets before being forced off in the first half of Watford's 2-0 loss to Manchester City on Wednesday night.
Speaking the day after that defeat, Mazzarri revealed that while he was still in the dark over the exact nature of Pereyra's injury, he is braced to be without him for the foreseeable future.