Watford V Burnley at Vicarage Road Stadium : Match Preview

28 March 2013 19:01
Watford V Burnley - view commentary, squad, and statistics of the game live.


High hopes over Hornets duo

Key Watford duo Almen Abdi and Manuel Almunia are both being monitored ahead of the visit of Burnley on Good Friday but Nyron Nosworthy definitely misses out.

Influential midfielder Abdi faces a fitness race to be involved over the Easter period having spent the international break recovering from the groin injury sustained in the warm-up prior to this month's defeat against Blackpool.

Goalkeeper Almunia is making good progress in his lengthy recovery from a hamstring problem, which has ruled him out of the last four matches, but will also need to be assessed ahead of the weekend to determine his level of fitness.

Defender Nosworthy will certainly play no part, however, and will do well to play again this season having undergone surgery on a ruptured Achilles sustained while on international duty.

Neuton (dislocated shoulder), Tommie Hoban (ankle) and John Eustace (back) all continue to miss out.

Burnley will be without Ben Mee.

Mee received his marching orders for two yellow cards in quick succession before the Clarets failed to hold out for an historic east Lancashire derby triumph over Blackburn last time out.

Danny Lafferty is expected to step in at left-back, having deputised for Mee during much of 2013 after his team-mate suffered medial knee ligament damage.

Boss Sean Dyche must once again do without Dean Marney (calf) in midfield as he searches for a second win in 11 outings on his first return since being dismissed at Vicarage Road last summer.

"I've made it clear many times, I don't really do old club scenarios," he told Burnley's official website. "I didn't do it at Millwall and I won't do it at Watford.

"I respect them, I enjoyed my time there and I learnt a lot from it but (Friday) is just about winning.

"It is about getting ourselves right to win a football match and going to deliver a performance to win a football match. It just so happens that it is at Watford."

Source: PA