Watford looking to avoid shock from revitalised Wycombe Wanderers

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With a three-point gap keeping Watford out of the top two – and Swansea closing in behind them – it is vitally important that Watford avoid a repeat of their visit to Adams Park earlier in the season.

37 points separate the two teams in the league this season, making this game fairly simple on paper whereas, in reality, it could not be more different.

Both sides are desperate for a result to keep their season alive. Watford need to recover quickly from the disappointment of their 1-0 defeat to Bournemouth at the weekend and push on towards the automatic promotion places. Whilst Wycombe are eyeing up a great escape with teams above them struggling to get points on the board.

The Hornets have improved exponentially since the appointment of Xisco Munoz at Vicarage road and they now sit in third place, two places higher than when the Spaniard was appointed. The style of football is much more expansive and forward-thinking and, before the defeat against Bournemouth, the Hertfordshire outfit had won four games in a row.

Despite this, the Chairboys are not a team that should be underestimated though this season, as Xisco’s side learned in the reverse fixture when they were lucky to escape with a point.

Adebayo Akinfenwa has the physical capability to wreak havoc on any Championship defence and Gareth Ainsworth seems to have revitalised his team as of late.

Two wins and a draw in their last five games is not an awful record at all and if they can keep up that sort of form, considering Birmingham, Coventry and Huddersfield’s struggles, they might be able to escape the drop and that will certainly be the aim.

In terms of player availability, Wycombe will be without Alex Pattinson, who has only played a small number of games for the Chairboys this season, whilst Ryan Tafazolli is serving the second game of his suspension following his sending off against Reading last week.

Watford meanwhile will be without Troy Deeney, Christian Kabasele, Isaac Success and Marc Navarro through injury, Joao Pedro is also unavailable following his red card against Bournemouth and Nathaniel Chalobah is out after collecting his tenth yellow card of the campaign last time out.

Also, though they have been slowly working their way back into contention, it is expected that the clash will come too early for Tom Dele-Bashiru and Ben Foster with Daniel Bachmann expected to keep his place in goal and Dan Gosling to step into midfield next to Tom Cleverley, with Xisco Munoz saying that this game is a chance for players to come in and battle for their place in the squad:

“Sometimes there are difficult moments in the Championship, you have different situations, and now is the moment for whoever’s waiting for these opportunities to try to give the best for the team. I think they’re ready, they’re fit, they’re in a good moment and now is the moment for the players who are waiting.”

Key Battle: Ismaila Sarr Vs Joe Jacobson

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With Joao Pedro out for Watford, the attacking impetus will have to come from Watford’s Senegalese maestro, who has had an upturn in form following a tough start to the Championship season.

We know from his season in the Premier League just how good Sarr is and he promises to be a major threat for the home side.

The man responsible for him will be Wycombe key man Joe Jacobson, the veteran left-back has notched up eight-goal involvements already this season, but his defensive ability will be tested when he comes up against the dynamic and insatiable Sarr.

Jacobson’s ability to neutralise Sarr will be questioned and whoever comes out on top is likely to be on the winning side.

This should be a well-fought, entertaining game and whoever emerges victorious will hope that the win can act as a catalyst for the rest of the season. Wycombe want to stay up, Watford want promotion. WIll either of them attain it?

Their road to success, or failure, could well start on Wednesday.

Prost International’s Steve Clare will be at Vicarage Road to report on the clash, follow his updates of the game here.

Preview by @thewsonbetts

Follow us on Twitter @ProstInt

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