After an eventful first two weeks of the 2021/22 Premier League campaign, one more match separates squads from their first international break. Watford, after picking up three points on opening day against Aston Villa, were unable to replicate their performance at Brighton. Nonetheless, Xisco Munoz cannot be too frustrated after picking up three out of six points available. Their trickiest fixture of the season so far, a trip to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, awaits. However, a key man may be available to feature in the match.
Watford Could Have Key Midfielder Back
Juraj Kucka May Be Fit for Trip to Spurs
On the From the Rookery End Podcast, Adam Leventhal of The Athletic discussed how new-signing Juraj Kucka could be fit for the key clash. He played the first 69 minutes of the opening-day fixture against Aston Villa, putting in a man-of-the-match performance. However, he was forced to the sidelines following a leg injury.
When asked about the potential timetable for return, Adam Leventhal explained, “It’s more like it’s going to be ten days to two weeks, so there is a chance that he could only miss the Brighton match and potentially return for the Tottenham game…Obviously there is a little bit of extra time ahead of that one because it is on Sunday.”
Watford Missed Him in Defeat Against Brighton
Fellow new-signing Imran Louza took Kucka’s place in the starting 11 for the match against the Seagulls. However, he was unable to replicate the impressive shift put in on opening day by Kucka. The 34-year-old is a physical, robust midfielder who is willing to disrupt the flow of the game with his tenacity. Louza, on the other hand, is more technical.
In the first half of the match against Brighton, Watford truly missed a physical figure such as Kucka. Brighton dominated the midfield despite only having two central-midfielders compared to the Hornet’s three. A play-disruptor such as Kucka would have made a world of difference for the Hornets.
Against a team such as Tottenham, such disruption and physicality will be needed if Watford are to get a result. Even though he was initially brought in as a rotation/depth player, it is evident his role, when fit, might be as a consistent starter.
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