Boss Kieran McKenna says he’ll pick the team which he believes gives Town the best chance of beating Watford at Portman Road on Tuesday, but also with a view to winning the games to come with the Blues at Swansea City on Saturday, then facing a very busy run of fixtures after the international break.

Town go into the Hornets’ visit having won their last two matches, the 4-1 success at QPR on Saturday having ended their wait for an away victory.

Last time at home, they defeated West Brom 1-0, bouncing back from a shock 3-0 loss to Charlton on the preceding Tuesday in their last game under the lights at Portman Road.

The win against the Rs moved the Blues up to ninth, three points off the play-offs and six from the top two with a game in hand.

Town go into the game with one or two injury concerns with Leif Davis and George Hirst both having come off with hamstring issues in the second half at Loftus Road, although with the Scotland international subsequently playing down concerns regarding his niggle.

“We’ll have to assess it anyway,” McKenna said, speaking after the win in West London, when asked about those worries. “It’s a big week, we have three games, two away games and big travel, so we’ll try and make the right decisions going into the game.

“Assess everyone Sunday and Monday and try and make the right decisions to give ourselves a good chance to win the game, and also to be competitive across the three games.”

In addition, Ivan Azon looks set to miss out again with a muscle issue, while Jacob Greaves appeared to be struggling in the warm-up at Loftus Road and didn’t join the other subs on the pitch at half-time.

McKenna has made significant changes for his side’s two midweek Championship games so far, the 1-1 draw at Bristol City and the defeat to the Addicks, six in the first and seven in the second, and was asked whether he planned the same again.

“We have assess everyone over the next 24 hours,” he smiled when asked if he planned plenty of changes. “We’ve a big week, we have a huge schedule coming back [after the international break], we have seven games in 21 days after the international break. We’re not going to play the same team every week.

“If we do, we’re not going to have too many players from that team fit, so we’re going to need everybody.

“Also I believe in everybody, genuinely, in the squad because everyone’s here because I believe that they can play.

“We work really hard on the different relationships at the training ground and we’ll pick a team that we think can give us the best chance to win the game, but also a team that gives us the best chance to win over the run of games that we have as well.”

Watford are one place and one point behind the Blues but having played a game more. However, 16 of their 18 points have been picked up at Vicarage Road, putting them top of a home-only Championship table. Town are third on 14, level with Championship leaders Coventry, although with the Sky Blues having hosted a game fewer.

The Hornets’ two points from six away games is the worst in the EFL. They have scored just four times on their travels, the joint-worst in the division. They last won on the road in February, 12 games ago.

Their two away points were picked up at Swansea, 1-1 in August, and Portsmouth, 2-2 at the start of October.

But the Hertfordshire side, again under the management of Javi Gracia for the last month following the sacking of Paulo Pezzolano, should go into the game in good spirits having beaten second-placed Middlesbrough 3-0 at home on Saturday, unusually playing in a 4-4-2 formation.

Did McKenna raise his eyebrows when he saw that result? “What can you be surprised about in the Championship at the moment? How many of the games today would you have predicted? Very, very few.

“The league’s relentlessly tight, relentlessly competitive, proves every week more so than ever that anyone can beat anyone and they’ve picked up a big result.

“I’ve seen one or two of their games since the new manager took over and I think they’ve been playing pretty well. I thought they played well at Coventry the week before, which I’ve already watched, although they didn’t win the game [they lost 3-1].

“We know it’s a good team, good manager, big squad, good players. Every game’s tough, Tuesday’s going to be no different but we can look forward to it.

“Back to Portman Road now for a midweek game. Hopefully doing better than we did in the last one and pushing on from the win and the performance against QPR.

“We need to really go in with a determination to back that up on Tuesday in the performance first. And if you do that, inevitably it gives you a good chance of getting the result.”

A third straight win would give the Blues added momentum and McKenna believes his side has been on a largely upward curve for a number of weeks.

“I think since the first international break our form or our record’s probably pretty good, but I’ve been pretty clear on where we’re at right the way through,” he continued.

“I’ve seen a group that is working really hard day to day, really want to do well for themselves and for the club but have still got a lot to do to become a really good team. That’s what we’re trying to be in every way, mentally, tactically, physically.

“Of course, we’ve had some good results, we’ve had a couple of bad results in quick succession and you have to stay even through that — it’s not going to be a smooth process, it’s not going to be all in one direction.

“It’s not like we get our first away win now and we go and win every game between now and the end of the season, there are going to be ups and downs along the way.

“But we’ve got to stay balanced, keep working well, keeping working to improve, focus on performances and getting better, fight for the results and see where it takes us.”

The Team

Christian Walton will continue in goal in Alex Palmer’s absence though injury, but McKenna could well bring in former Hornet Ashley Young at right-back.

Ben Johnson would be Davis’s likely replacement should the left-back not make it, but it seems likely the former Leeds man was withdrawn as a precaution and will probably be OK to take his usual place in the team.

Skipper Dara O’Shea and Cedric Kipre will be the centre-halves, while in midfield, McKenna could swap Jack Taylor for Jens Cajuste alongside Azor Matusiwa.

There seem likely to be changes in the three ahead of them with Kasey McAteer, Chuba Akpom and Jack Clarke all vying to come in for Sindre Walle Egeli, Marcelino Nunez and Jaden Philogene. Whether McKenna opts to switch them all remains to be seen.

If Hirst doesn’t make it, then Akpom looks the obvious option to start as the number nine with Azon appearing unlikely to be involved.

The Opposition

Midfielder Giorgi Chakvetadze wasn’t considered ready to return to the squad on Saturday following a foot injury but could be in line for a place on the bench.

Forward Othmane Maamma was back among the subs against Boro having been away with the victorious Morocco squad at the U20 World Cup.

Centre-half James Abankwah is set to return from a one-match ban having been sent off at Coventry.

History

Historically, the sides are closely matched with the Blues having won 28 games (25 in the league) and Watford 26 (25 in the league), while 18 (18) have ended in draws.

Town are unbeaten in four against the Hornets, winning the first three in that streak. Watford's last win at Portman Road was a 2-0 success back in February 2013. However, the Blues have won only one of their last 11 home games against the Hornets going back to March 2004 and a 4-1 victory under Joe Royle, drawing four and losing six.

The teams last met at Portman Road in April 2024 when Town missed out on the chance to return to the top of the Championship following a 0-0 draw, but returned to second in the table.

The Blues came closest to scoring in the first half when Nathan Broadhead hit the post and Kieffer Moore saw a header from almost point-blank saved by Hornets keeper Daniel Bachmann but were less dominant after the break.

In the preceding December, Town did go to the top of the Championship after they came from a goal down to win 2-1 at Watford, skipper Sam Morsy netting the winner 10 minutes from time.

Yaser Asprilla gave Watford the lead in the 12th minute but Hirst levelled for the Blues on 24 before Morsy seized on an error by Hornets captain Wesley Hoedt to claim all three points.

Familiar Faces

Blues full-back Ashley Young began his career at Watford, joining the club aged 10. He went on to make 83 starts and 27 sub appearances, scoring 22 goals, before departing for Aston Villa in January 2007 for £9.65 million.

Town assistant manager Martyn Pert has had two spells at Watford, between March 2005 and November 2008 as a conditioning coach and then again from July 2009 until September 2010 as head of conditioning.

The Blues’ head of goalkeeping Rene Gilmartin had two spells with the Hornets as a player, between 2010 and 2012 and from 2014 until 2017, but made only seven senior appearances, all in his first stint.

CEO and chairman Mark Ashton was chief executive with Watford from June 2004 until December 2008.

Officials

Tuesday’s referee is David Webb, his assistants are Mark Dwyer and Robert Hyde, and the fourth official David Rock.

Lancashire-based Webb, who has shown 25 yellow cards and one red in 10 games so far this season, last took charge of the Blues for the 3-2 home victory over Bristol City in March 2024 when he cautioned Ali Al-Hamadi and three Robins.

Prior to that, he was in the middle for the 0-0 draw at home to QPR between Christmas and New Year 2023 in which he yellow-carded Luke Woolfenden, Conor Chaplin, Marcus Harness and two of the visitors.

He also refereed the 4-2 victory over Preston North End at Portman Road in October in which he booked only four of the visitors.

Webb’s previous visit to Suffolk was a while before that, a 3-2 home defeat to Bristol City in November 2018 in which he cautioned Jordan Spence, Jordan Roberts, Kayden Jackson and one visiting player.

He was also in control of the 1-0 defeat at Rotherham in August the same year in which he booked only two Millers and denied the Blues what looked a certain penalty when Roberts was felled in the area late on as he looked to add a finish to a cross from Kieffer Moore, who was in his first spell with the Blues.

Webb was also in charge of the 0-0 home draw with Burton Albion in the previous February in which he cautioned only one Brewer.

Before that he was the man in black for the 1-1 draw at Leeds in January 2014 in which he yellow-carded only Cole Skuse and awarded the home side a penalty, which Ross McCormack converted, after Luke Chambers fouled future Blues outcast Cameron Stewart.

He also refereed the 1-1 draw at Bolton in October 2013 when he booked one player from each side.

More notable was his previous game involving the Blues, the 1-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest in March of the same year when he red-carded two Town players, Lee Martin and Richard Stearman, and showed five yellow cards to Tricky Trees.

Webb’s only Town matches prior to that were the 1-0 victory over Derby at Portman Road in December 2011 - when he booked no Blues and two Rams - and the 2-0 victory at home to Scunthorpe in March of the same year when he yellow-carded Martin, Gareth McAuley, Grant Leadbitter and one visiting player.

Squad From

Walton, Button, Gray, Furlong, Johnson, Young, H Clarke, Davis, O’Shea (c), Greaves, Kipre, Matusiwa, Cajuste, Taylor, Nunez, Humphreys, J Clarke, Walle Egeli, Philogene, McAteer, Akpom, Hirst.

Photo: TWTD

Gforce added 12:49 - Nov 3 Mckenna fast becoming the new tinker man.
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martin12120137 added 13:00 - Nov 3 Just leave the team as it is! Unless changes are needed due to injured players just leave it! International break next weekend so a lot of them can recover then. If you can’t play two games a week you shouldn’t be a professional footballer!
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Vic added 13:25 - Nov 3 Please don;t change it to much. 2 o3 three at most, and the same of Saturday if we have to. But not 6 or 7 - perleeese!
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grow_our_own added 13:37 - Nov 3 "we have three games, two away games and big travel, so we’ll try and make the right decisions...over the three games" Hopefully this is subterfuge ("he smiled"), and KM has learned from his mistakes: over-rotated in the last two midweeks. Hopefully Davis & Hirst will make it. If they're replaced, then it'll be interesting to hear their fitness reports on the night.

2

PortmanTerrorist added 13:41 - Nov 3 If Leif is out then it has to be Ashley Young to come in and not Johnson?! Otherwise, understand some changes need making but the 1st 11 is now surely set as being the team from Saturday.....McKenna needs to minimise the changes to that 11 going forward as we are now finally, in these last 2 games, seeing patterns of play (kudos to Taylor) that teams at this level cannot cope with !

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mow_the_lawn added 13:44 - Nov 3 I’d stick with the same starting line up as Saturday (barring injuries). There’s no travel involved and then reassess for next Saturday afterwards. Watford will be tough. As Cajuste didn’t come on, I suspect McKenna will do a straight swap for Taylor in the middle and he may rotate Egeli. Philogene’s better games have come at Portman Road but McKenna may fancy Clarke as he barely got any minutes on Saturday.

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boysof1981 added 14:35 - Nov 3 7 changes and a defeat incoming then
5

Murphys_Law added 15:46 - Nov 3 I’d be very tempted to play Cam Humphries at left back if Lief doesn’t make it.
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poet added 15:48 - Nov 3 A lot of wise football managers on this page. What has to be considered by McKenna and his staff, is levels of fitness. One or two players have taken knocks, and may need a bit more time to recover. The QPR game was a very physical encounter, to a point where I thought that fouling could well be a part of their pre-match planning. Also, some players recover from games played in quick sucession quicker than others, and he would want starting players to be at the height of their personal fitness levels. All these factors and more, us fans are not privy to.

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WhoisJimmyJuan added 16:12 - Nov 3 My guess is there will either be some changes, or they'll be no changes.
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VanDusen added 17:19 - Nov 3 Why is this something people are now complaining about? This has always been his policy and there wasn't too much grumbling about it when we were romping away with the breakaway four two years ago (take a look at Sat/Tues/Sat lines ups during 2023/4 if you doubt me). In fact some comments would have suggested it was one of our strengths being able to rotate a strong squad... Thing then is we had a settled side with people bedded in to the club and a decent idea of who the 'first eleven' who'd start, say, a play off final would be if fit. At the moment we are still gelling that together and in some ways it might be said McKenna's a bit 'unlucky' to have such a fit squad unlike the decimation we had at this time last year where people were playing by necessity - that might actually have benefitted us this season. The main thing is we need to get spirit to match the talent...

2

Stato added 17:40 - Nov 3 KM has 5 players gteed a start when available. They are Hirst, Matusiwa, Davis, O'Shea and Palmer. Phillogene will also clearly be a more regular starter. So that leaves 5 spots being rotated very regularly but for the time being at least Kipre seems to have ousted Greaves. Therefore maybe 2 to 4 change nost ganes and nobodt gonna call for KMs head if some weeks thst doesn't deliver 3 points. On the other hand 6/7 changes and a defeat will look like previous mistakes being repeatef

4

armchaircritic59 added 17:53 - Nov 3 I've said it before in here, and I'll repeat it. Back in 1980/1981 season, we played 66 matches that largely revolved around 16 players. As I recall, we didn't do too badly! Todays players have it very easy by comparison, so I get very tired of hearing about can't play three times a week. Of course if there are genuine injury concerns, that player or players is left out, otherwise please stand up and be counted.

9

dirtydingusmagee added 21:31 - Nov 3 back in the days of Butcher Mills Burley and so on they played twice a week 90 mins if not injured or having a stinker, subs were often not used , Whats happened to the fitness levels we have players cant play 90 mins, cant play twice a week ! and even if they could they get taken off , at 70 mins . Its no wonder the team cant find a rythm I wish KM would not make so many changes.

10

VanDusen added 21:33 - Nov 3 How many times do the people on here need telling?! The game in 1981 was a fraction of the pace it is today with players who still smoked even?! Of course players could play more back then. Just look at the footage compared with a match today?! I'm firmly of the belief that most of the Championship sides this season would probably have had a decent shot at winning the Premier League title in the first two or three seasons so I suspect most teams from the 80s would find League One heavy going these days even despite the higher technical skill of the players! People have got to stop living in the past and recognise what an utterly different game it is nowadays - and a rigged one at that...

-1

armchaircritic59 added 23:36 - Nov 3 VanDusen, your firm belief is total garbage. I can tell you this, and I've seen both generations. The class of 80/81, would walk all over our present squad with their boot laces tied together, and after one or two had a fag break at half time. I don't live in the past, are you any good at AI? I can only assume you weren't around in the late 70's early 80's either.

7

Gforce added 00:11 - Nov 4 Vandusen...I agree with some of your posts,but on this occasion you are talking absolute nonsense. Our team of 81 was without doubt the best in Europe, we beat the so called European champions of the that time, Aston Villa 3 times,that season and would certainly give the current top premier league teams a run for their money.
8

bobble added 01:02 - Nov 4 Cha cha changes....
0

armchaircritic59 added 01:06 - Nov 4 Gforce, spot on. My best estimation would be top 6 without breaking sweat, top 4 quite probably. Anything else not out of the equation. People need to remember that if players of that generation were around today, they'd be subject to the same training regimes. And further, I'll confidently say this, the midfield 3 back then was much better than any midfield 3 in the Premier League today!

2

chripswich added 02:35 - Nov 4 @armchaircritic. I guess that’s why Phil and Gav’s site name has stood the test of time. Although I remember with fondness the slight logo change to “these are the days” when stewie was banging them in ‘that’ season.. great days *sigh*
1

Ebantiass added 05:15 - Nov 4 Lets keep this going lads. With the international break around the cornor I would try to keep the side as close to the Qpr side after a terrific win on saturday,but lets see. The gaffa knowns best and sees these players week in week out.
0

BobbyBell added 06:16 - Nov 4 Van Dusen. Todays players play on smooth carpets compared to the heavy pitches of the 70s & 80s. Crunching tackles too. Ninety minutes back then was bloody hard work not walking around rolling the ball from one to the other, Those players wanted to play every game for the love of playing. A bath, get changed and go home or down the pub the on to the next game. Now players are multi million pound assets to be protected and have all the recover processes imaginable at their disposal.

4

BobbyBell added 06:20 - Nov 4 Watford are a very good side and we mustn't disrespect them like we did with Charlton or we could get beaten again. Every 3pts is vital. You can rest a player for a game and then he gets a nasty injury in the next game and is out for weeks.
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BangaloreBlues added 08:03 - Nov 4 Well, I've been banging on for ages about how rotation is not working for us and we need to play a settled team, and lo and behold two wins on the bounce. If he brutally chops up the squad tonight I'm going to scream. Last time I made a comment here I said I'd done a 180 on KMK and wanted him out. However, if he keeps a settled team I'll do another 180 and fully support him again. This is a Watford team we should be beating at home, but if he changes half the squad and we lose...

2

ArnieM added 08:10 - Nov 4 Tinkerman will be at it again tonight unfortunately. Just when will he learn?
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