Watford vs Stoke City: Team news, kick-off time, probable line-ups, odds and stats from the Premier League clash
- Roberto Pereyra is out for Watford due to a hamstring injury
- Andre Carrillo could replace the playmaker at Vicarage Road
- Peter Crouch to undergo a fitness test having suffered a back injury
- But Mark Hughes is set to have Xherdan Shaqiri available for the Potters
Ahead of this weekend's Premier League action, Sportsmail will be providing you with all you need to know about every fixture, with team news, provisional squads, betting odds and Opta stats. Here is all the information you need for Watford's home clash with Stoke.
Watford vs Stoke City (Vicarage Road)
Team news
Watford
Watford playmaker Roberto Pereyra will miss the Premier League visit of Stoke due to a hamstring niggle but is expected back the following weekend.
Andre Carrillo could come into the starting line-up in place of Pereyra while Will Hughes, the summer signing from Derby, is pushing to finally make his Premier League debut.
Roberto Pereyra (left) is expected to miss the clash against Stoke City with a hamstring injury
Defenders Sebastian Prodl (thigh) and Younes Kaboul (hamstring) are still sidelined but Silva hopes the duo, who have been out since early September, will be back soon.
Provisional squad: Gomes, Kabasele, Gray, Britos, Kiko, Cleverley, Holebas, Mariappa, Doucoure, Richarlison, Pereyra, Karnezis, Janmaat, Wague, Watson, Carrillo, Capoue, Deeney.
Stoke
Stoke are sweating on Peter Crouch's fitness ahead of their trip to Watford.
The 36-year-old striker has an ongoing back issue and will be assessed, while defender Bruno Martins Indi (hamstring) is still unavailable to Potters boss Mark Hughes.
Peter Crouch's back injury means he will face a fitness test before Stoke's visit to Watford
Xherdan Shaqiri (ankle) is set to return having only been held back against Bournemouth as a precaution but Stephen Ireland (broken leg) is out.
Provisional squad: Butland, Grant, Cameron, Zouma, Wimmer, Johnson, Pieters, Souttar, Edwards, Diouf, Tymon, Fletcher, Allen, Adam, Afellay, Jese, Shaqiri, Choupo-Moting, Sobhi, Berahino, Crouch.
Key match stats (supplied by Opta)
Watford have lost their last three games against Stoke, after winning four of the previous six (D2) and keeping a clean sheet in each match in that run.
Stoke haven’t won four consecutive matches against Watford since December 2004 under Tony Pulis.
Stoke have only won four consecutive Premier League games against one other opponent, Blackburn Rovers between 2010-2012 (five-game streak).
Watford have lost just two of their nine Premier League games so far this season (W4 D3 L2); against the current top of the league side (Man City) and the reigning Premier League champions (Chelsea).
Stoke City have won eight points from their nine Premier League games this season. The only Premier League campaign that they have started worse was their first-ever season in the competition; seven points from nine games in 2008-09.
Watford keeper Heurelho Gomes looks on as Stoke City score the only goal of the game in their 1-0 victory at Vicarage Road last November
Watford have allowed their opponents the best quality chances in front of goal this season overall, with the xG against total at 15.20. They have created the 7th best quality of chance in attack based on xG, however (12.46).
Peter Crouch has made just two Premier League starts against Watford but has bagged three goals in these two starts.
10 different Watford players have scored a Premier League goal this season – a feat only league-leaders Manchester City (also 10) can match.
Abdoulaye Doucouré has played 17.5 per cent of Watford’s total successful passes in the Premier League this season – a higher proportion than any player for any other team in the competition so far in 2017-18.
French midfielder Doucouré has scored four goals from four shots on target in the Premier League for Watford this season.
Richarlison has been fouled more often than any other player in the Premier League this season (32 fouls won).
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