I FEEL MOW PRESSURE
Coventry have defender Leo Ostigard (right) back from a ban while right-back Julien Dacosta (stomach muscle) is still a doubt.
Derby are likely to once again be without keeper David Marshall, forwards Tom Lawrence and Jordon Ibe and centre-backs Curtis Davies and Krystian Bielik.
Barnsley centreback Aapo Halme could start after recovering from a broken toe and a muscle injury. Fellow defender Liam Kitching (groin) remains a doubt.
Birmingham manager Aitor Karanka hopes that his Spanish winger Ivan Sanchez continues to play despite a groin niggle.
Bristol City’s injury crisis will rob them of first-teamers Jamie Paterson, Andreas Weimann, Joe Williams, Henri Lansbury, Jay Dasilva, Chris Martin, Tommy Rowe and Hakeeb Adelakun.
Jordy De Wijs (left) could make his QPR debut. He’s had a calf injury since joining on loan from Hull.
Norwich will make a late decision on Todd Cantwell (calf). Fellow midfielder Marco Stiepermann could return after recovering from the Epstein-Barr virus.
Luton will check on captain Sonny Bradley (thigh) while centre-back Tom Lockyer is sidelined with an ankle injury.
Reading will be without defender Michael Morrison due to a muscle injury. Everton loanee Lewis Gibson could return to contention.
Wednesday’s Massimo Luongo (knee), Andre Green (Achilles) and keeper Keiren Westwood (fractured rib) are not ready to return.
Vicarage Road, 12.30pm
RED-HOT Chile stopper Francisco Sierralta is banking on Watford winning promotion to keep his World Cup dream alive.
Centre-back Sierralta has started 12 of 13 games under Hornets head coach Xisco Munoz, after being an almost-invisible reserve under the Spaniard’s predecessor Vladimir Ivic.
Since his full debut against Norwich on Boxing Day, the 23-year-old South American has looked Watford’s most accomplished defender.
And Sierralta, whose diligent marking drove Uruguay’s Luis Suarez to distraction in a
World Cup qualifier in
Montevideo last October, has set his heart on going to next year’s finals in Qatar with Chile.
He said: “It’s very important for us to get to the Premier League. We’re trying very hard every week, game by game, to get the maximum number of points we can by the end of the season.
“It’s not going to be easy. I know it’s also not easy to get into the Chilean team, because it’s very competitive. Obviously, going up to the Premier League will boost my chances, but at the moment we have to focus on getting up.”
Sierralta is at the heart of a multilingual back four in which he speaks Italian with left-back Adam Masina and Nigerian captain William Troost-Ekong, once his teammate at Udinese in Serie A.
He communicates in his mother tongue with Spanish full-back Kiko Femenia and Watford boss Munoz, but said the language barrier has been superseded by the
Championship: 3pm
TONY MOWBRAY claims he has the full backing of Blackburn’s owners despite an awful run of results.
Rovers are rooted in the bottom half after slumping to a sixth defeat in seven games against Reading this week and face three of the top four in their next five games.
Mowbray’s position has come under scrutiny but manager’s faith in him. Sierralta added:
“It’s useful for me that the head coach speaks Spanish, but the most important thing in a coach is for him to trust me and give me confidence in myself.
“Language is obviously important, but there are many other factors, like confidence and trust, which are by far more important.” While
Munoz (left) regards his
Chilean warhorse as a 6ft 4in rock at the heart of the back line, he is down to one fit midfielder – Will Hughes – for today’s home date with Nottingham Forest.
Former West Ham and Aston Villa misfit Carlos Sanchez has signed a short-term deal with Watford until the end of the season. the Ewood boss (below) insists he is not under any extra pressure. “I speak all the time to the owners’ representative and everything is fine,” said Mowbray, who takes his team to Millwall today. “They understand, they watch every game. They see which is the best team on a given day and they have to decide the best way forward.”