Exactly how long Troy Deeney will be missing from Watford’s starting XI will become more clear over the next 48 hours, The Athletic has learned. In the build-up to their 1-0 win at Preston it was announced he would be out for “a short time to allow a couple of niggling injuries to recover” and sources have confirmed that assessments taking place during the remainder of this week will give a clearer timescale for his return.
The captain has missed five months of football since the start of the 2019-20 season, when he required knee surgery, and has had to manage the issue ever since. He played 90 minutes against Coventry (0-0) on February 6 despite taking a heavy knock to his right knee in the first half, and was then unable to play against Bristol City (6-0) on Saturday despite being named on the bench.
The 32-year-old will hope medical advice points to rest and rehabilitation rather than any further medical procedures with only 16 games…
