Watford v Wolves preview: Nuno expected to make changes

Top scorer Raul Jimenez, attacker Adama Traore, wing-back Matt Doherty and midfielder-turned-defender Romain Saiss were all rested for the 1-0 defeat at Liverpool.

Nuno made those changes due to the 44-hour turnaround from the energy-sapping 3-2 comeback win over Manchester City.

Centre-halves Ryan Bennet and Max Kilman, wing-back Ruben Vinagre and forward Pedro Neto all came into the starting line-up, and impressed, as Nuno shifted from 3-4-3 to 3-5-2.

But with another short turnaround before Wednesday’s trip to Vicarage Road, Nuno is expected to rotate again, with Jimenez, Doherty, Traore and Saiss all expected to return.

Striker Troy Deeney has been key in relegation-battling Watford’s recent upturn in form under new boss Nigel Pearson and Nuno has options at the back as Wolves aim to halt their revival.

Bennett and Kilman pushed their cases for more minutes at leaders Liverpool.

But the Wolves boss is expected to return to the three he has favoured since the second half of the 1-1 draw at Newcastle United in October of Leander Dendoncker, Conor Coady and Saiss.

Belgian Dendoncker moved back to the midfield three at Anfield, but with Wolves anticipated to return to 3-4-3, he is expected to drop back.

And Dendoncker says the key to their relationship, is communication.

He said: “At the beginning it was not easy because I had been playing all the time in midfield. Then playing in the back three is not so easy.

“It is all about positioning and that is not always easy for me, because I am a midfielder, but I think we try to communicate well with Coady obviously who talks a lot. I have a good understanding with Romain too because he speaks French.

“I think communication is the most important part about it.

“I think that is important, the understanding between all of us, all of the players.

“We have a good understanding and I think that is one of our biggest strengths. I think we just have to keep going.”

Striker Patrick Cutrone withdrew from the squad at Liverpool due to illness, but is set to return at Watford.

Neto, 19, got the nod to start and is now battling for a start in the front three.

Skipper Coady was full of praise for the youngster, who saw what would have been his first Premier League goal chalked off due to a controversial offside call on Jonny Castro Otto in the build-up. He said: “Pedro is a brilliant lad, he is still young, still improving, still

learning.

“I think we saw the trust the manager has in him to put him in a game like that on Sunday, the way he played, the way he held up the play and brought people in, the way he ran with the ball – that is his game. I thought he played really well and on another day, he would have got a really good

goal.”