Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
TROY STORY PHEW
Hornets boss Ivic relieved to get talisman Deeney back in action
Championship: Vicarage Road, 7pm TROY DEENEY is ready to be unleashed and help Vladimir Ivic get Watford’s spluttering promotion bid back on track.
The only appearance of the Hornets’ talisman so far this season was a walk-on part in the derby win against Luton.
Deeney has since spent another five weeks on the sidelines dealing with the fal lout from a knee operation in the close season.
In his absence, Watford have taken just two points from the last three games – and eight goals from nine league matches is a poor strike rate for a squad with ambitions of an immediate top-flight return.
But head coach Ivic (right) ) is h opin g De en e y wi l l b e involved against Stoke at Vicarage Road tonight.
The Hornets have sorely mi s s e d t h e i r c a p t a i n’s s muscular presence, charisma ma and firepower.
And Ivic admitted: “The way things are at the moment, we are waiting for him to be ready to play.
Troy is a guy who works hard and we are happy because of his behaviour. “W “We know he has been in injured, he missed a lot of p practice, but now, in the last t two weeks, he has worked to b be stronger and stronger. “We will see if we can take him for the game on Wednesday – if not, for the game on Saturday. I believe he will be with us.
“I gave him time in the game against Luton because he worked with us before this game, but after that he felt the same problem that he had and he stayed out for twoand-a-half weeks.
“Now he’s come back again and he’s in the shape and the way he can help us in some part of the game.”
Despite keeping hold of record £35million signing Ismaila Sarr in the transfer window and the promise of Brazilian Joao Pedro, Watford have lacked cutting edge.
And the absence of long-term injury victim Adam Masina, who is expected to be out until February, has left Ivic without a recognised left-back in his squad.
Ivic said: “I’m not here to look for excuses, but if e ver y on e was available I’d hope you’d see the best system to give us the best results. But for every game, I can only work with the players who are available.”