Watford will resume their Championship playoff bid when they lock horns with Plymouth Argyle in Saturday’s clash at Vicarage Road.
The hosts are sitting in 10th spot in the Championship table, while the relegation-threatened visitors are languishing at the foot of the standings.
Match preview
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Watford are currently five points adrift of the top six after winning 15, drawing seven and losing 16 of their 38 league matches this season.
If they are to close that gap, Watford will have to improve significantly on the form they have shown in 2025, having collected just 15 points from as many games in the current calendar year, with only five teams collecting fewer in the same period.
The Hornets lost two of their last three matches before the international break, including a narrow 1-0 away defeat in their most recent outing against Oxford United.
They may at least be able to take some confidence from the fact they have won two of their previous three home matches, beating Luton Town and Swansea City on either side of a 2-1 defeat to Millwall.
Watford also avoided defeat in each of their last five competitive meetings with Plymouth, including a win and a draw in the current campaign.
They claimed a 2-0 home win in an EFL Cup tie in August, before they played out a 2-2 draw in November’s reverse league fixture at Home Park.
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Plymouth will hope to experience better fortunes on their return from the two-week break after winning just one of their seven league matches before the international window.
Their only victory in that period came in their most recent road trip against Portsmouth, as goals from Mustupha Bundu and Ryan Hardie fired Plymouth to their first Championship away win of the season.
However, the Pilgrims were unable to build on that result in their home meeting with Derby County, conceding a late goal as they fell to a 3-2 defeat after fighting hard to come back from two goals down to level the contest.
Plymouth are sitting six points adrift of safety with eight games left to play, leaving them with a mountain to climb if they are to extend their two-season stay in the second tier.
Having shipped 77 goals in 38 league matches, the division’s worst defence will be looking for an improvement in Saturday’s contest as they go in search of their eighth Championship win of the season.
The visitors have not beaten Watford since recording a league double in the 2008/09 Championship campaign when they claimed 2-1 victories in both home and away fixtures.
Team News
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Watford are unable to call upon Daniel Bachmann, Keven Keben, Pierre Dwomoh and Mamadou Doumbia due to injury.
Defender James Abankwah will serve a one-match ban after being sent off for two bookable offences in the narrow defeat to Oxford.
Kwadwo Baah is set to return to the squad for the first time since sustaining an injury against Preston North End on January 21, but it remains to be seen whether he will be ready to start Saturday’s home fixture.
As for the visitors, forward Muhamed Tijani is closing in on a return to action, although he remains a doubt for the trip to Vicarage Road.
Defender Julio Pleguezuelo could come into the starting lineup after missing the defeat to Derby through injury.
Plymouth boss Miron Muslic is also hopeful that Hardie will be fit after having time to shake off a back issue that was bothering him before the international window.
Watford possible starting lineup:
Selvik; Ngakia, Sierralta, Pollock, Larouci; Louza, Dele-Bashiru; Ince, Sissoko, Chakvetadze; Kayembe
Plymouth Argyle possible starting lineup:
Hazard; Talovierov, Katic, Pleguezuelo; Mumba, Gyabi, Houghton, Puchacz; Hardie, Wright; Bundu
We say: Watford 2-0 Plymouth Argyle
Watford have won two of their last three matches at Vicarage Road, and we think they will make full use of home advantage once again to beat a Plymouth side that have lost three of their previous four games.
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