Weekend Briefing: Watford must learn to cope without Gerard Deulofeu

Injury briefing

Gerard Deulofeu blow mars Watford win

Watford's 3-0 victory at home to Liverpool was one of the best Premier League results in their history but it came at a major cost with key attacker Gerard Deulofeu suffering a season-ending cruciate knee ligament injury during a first-half tussle with Virgil van Dijk.

Deulofeu was Watford's scorer last season with ten league goals. This season he has been less effective but has provided some key moments, notching the opening goals in crucial victories at Norwich and at home to Wolves. He and goalkeeper Ben Foster are the only two Hornets players to have played in every league game this season.

The Spanish attacker will be missed in the final ten games and his absence places an even greater importance on the contributions of Senegalese winger Ismaila Sarr, the main architect in last weekend's routing of the Reds.

Sarr has been troubled by injury problems and has started just 12 league games this season. The match against Liverpool, where he delivered two goals and an assist, was his first start in six weeks.

He has undoubted talent but still has to prove he is robust enough to handle the rigours of the Premier League.

Sarr's return to fitness could not have come at a better time and boss Nigel Pearson will also be delighted by the availability of first- choice right-back Kiko Femenia (hamstring), who made his first appearance since New Year's Day.

Tigers shredded by injury crisis

Injury-ravaged Hull were without nine players for last Saturday's 4-0 Championship loss at home to Leeds and there is not much light at the end of the tunnel with only Keane Lewis-Potter (hamstring) thought to be in contention to return for their relegation battle at Stoke.

Lewis-Potter handed Hull manager Grant McCann a boost by returning to full training last Friday but the Tigers are still without long-term absentees Tom Eaves and James Scott (both ankle) and must be patient with Jordy De Wijs, Reece Burke (both calf), Jon Toral (hamstring), Eric Lichaj, Herbie Kane (both ankle) and Josh Bowler (heel), who remain out of contention.

As well as lacking fit senior players, Hull are also running out of confidence having taken just two points from their last ten games.

They are three points above the drop zone but have a massive fight on their hands to stay out of the bottom three.

Accrington Stanley suffer Mark Hughes setback

Accrington are the highest scorers among the bottom-half teams in Sky Bet League One and their reliance on attack is likely to increase in the final ten games because influential defender Mark Hughes has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a calf injury.

Hughes was a key member of Accrington's back four in recent seasons, featuring in every league game in the 2017-18 and 2018-19 campaigns.

This term he has featured in 31 of the 34 league fixtures but missed both of last week's matches – a 3-0 loss at Oxford and a 0-0 draw at Bolton – and scans have revealed that he faces an extended period on the sidelines.

Losing the 33-year-old Hughes takes away the only experienced member of Accrington's defence.

At Oxford they fielded an inexperienced rearguard featuring goalkeeper Josef Bursik (19), right-back Callum Johnson (23), centre-backs Ross Sykes (20) and Aji Alese (19) and left-back Jerome Opoku (21).

The back four were slightly more experienced at Bolton – 23-year-old centre-back Harvey Rodgers and 24-year-old left back Joe Maguire came into the side - although the absence of Alese with an unspecified injury was enforced.

Keeping a clean sheet at Bolton was positive but Accrington conceded 21 shots against the basement boys and will have to defend better to avoid sliding down the table.

Scunthorpe look short up front

Scunthorpe always look forward to their Lincolnshire derbies with Grimsby but they may have to field an understrength side at Glanford Park with several key players struggling for fitness.

Caretaker-manager Russ Wilcox is in charge of Scunthorpe until the end of the season and he made four changes for Tuesday's 2-0 defeat at Swindon.

Two of the changes were enforced with attackers Abu Eisa (hamstring) and Kevin van Veen (groin) suffering injuries in last Saturday's 2-2 draw at Port Vale.

And Wilcox was unable to call on Devarn Green, Eisa's first-half replacement at Vale Park, who was ruled out with a dead leg.

Green should be available this weekend and Wilcox could recall defender Andy Butler and midfielder John McAtee, who were both rested.

However, he is less hopeful about Eisa and ten-goal top scorer Van Veen, who he expects to miss a minimum of two matches.

James Hanson to miss Lincolnshire derby clash

Grimsby will be lining up without their top scorer, James Hanson, for the Lincolnshire derby against Scunthorpe after he was ruled out for the rest of the season with a groin injury.

Hansen has been enjoying life under Ian Holloway and went into last Saturday's clash at home to Northampton with the aim of scoring for a fourth successive match.

However, Hansen lasted just 25 minutes before suffering an injury which could force him to miss a decent chunk of the rest of the season.

The Mariners are also expected be without injured duo Jordan Cook and Jake Hessenthaler but centre-back Harry Davis returned from a seven-week layoff to feature for 63 minutes of Tuesday's 3-0 loss at Plymouth.

Gaffer tracker

Neil Critchley - Blackpool

Blackpool's search for a new manager is over after they persuaded Neil Critchley to join them from Liverpool's under-23s setup.

Critchley twice took charge of Liverpool first team fixtures this season - presiding over a 5-0 loss at Aston Villa in the EFL Cup quarter-finals and a 1-0 success at home to Shrewsbury in an FA Cup fourth round replay.

Seasiders owner Simon Sadler said he was delighted to snap up Critchley, who he described as 'highly regarded'.

The move for Critchley came about after Blackpool were rebuffed in their approaches for Oxford manager Karl Robinson and Swindon manager Richie Wellens.

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