Watford look to keep pace with the frontrunners as Queens Park Rangers travel to Vicarage Road

Watford boss Xisco Munoz will hope to watch his side return to winning ways on Monday night as QPR travel to Vicarage Road.

The home side have claimed 13 points from a possible 18 under new manager Xisco Munoz, keeping four clean sheets along the way, but Monday night’s game poses a fresh challenge for a side who are looking to produce a response to last week’s goalless draw against London.

There’s been an air of cautious optimism surrounding Watford this season, with many believing that the Hornets still have another gear to climb, but there can be little discontent with the side’s recent results. The Hertfordshire outfit currently occupy fourth place in the table, trailing second-placed Swansea by just three points.

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Watford’s visitors have a point of their own to prove on Monday night having laboured to a 1-0 home defeat against a Derby side, who have now recorded three consecutive 1-0 league wins. Rangers looked to be enjoying something of a revival under Mark Warburton following convincing wins against Luton and Cardiff, but the defeat to Derby throws that into question ahead of their trip to Vicarage Road on Monday.

Despite last weekend’s defeat, the London club remain four points clear of 22nd-placed Rotherham and Warburton will take some confidence from a run of five away league games without a defeat. That said, Watford pose a much more potent threat to this QPR squad, and the Hornets will be heavy favourites heading into this fixture.

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Last week was a busy one for Watford in the transfer market. The home side saw loanee James Garner return to Manchester United and completed the signings of experienced goalkeeper Rob Elliott and central midfielder Dan Gosling. The pair will likely have to wait for their debuts.

Xisco Munoz has a settled starting XI in his mind at the moment, so there’s little room for rotation when it comes to Watford. Versatile winger Philip Zinckernagel and young striker Joao Pedro are both pushing for recalls, with Will Hughes and Andre Gray the most likely to step aside.

Dynamic forward Stipe Perica is expected to return in the next couple of weeks, but the hosts will still have five first-team injuries to contend with when the Croat returns.

As for QPR, the London club have enjoyed a fairly comfortable season with regards to injuries. Midfield duo Tom Carroll and Luke Amos are both managing season-ending injuries, while full-back Lee Wallace is carrying a knock and won’t feature in the matchday squad.

Keep an eye out for midfield general Stefan Johansen, who joined QPR on loan from London rivals Fulham last week and looks set to make his debut here alongside Dominic Ball and Ilias Chair.

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