Watford will be without four players for their Championship opener with Bolton Wanderers due to injury while loanee Keith Andrews is ineligible as he can’t face his parent club.

Craig Cathcart will be absent due to a knee injury while Sean Murray will miss out with a dead leg.

Young striker Uche Ikpeazu is ten days away from rejoining the squad after an ankle operation while Bernard Mensah continues to recover from a knee injury he suffered in March whilst on loan at Braintree Town.

One player who could make his Hornets debut is Juan Carlos Paredes.

The Ecuador international hasn’t played in any of the Hornets’ pre-season matches but Golden Boys head coach Beppe Sannino confirmed today that the Ecuador international could feature against the Trotters.

He said: “Parades will be in the squad and on Saturday you will have to look if he is on the pitch. I know who will play though.”

Troy Deeney, who has been the subject of transfer bids throughout the summer, remains and will captain the Hornets.

Sannino said: “Troy is the fans’ striker. We have lots of other strikers but this team needs its captain, as a man and as a player.”

During pre-season Sannino has experimented with a 4-3-3 formation but returned to the tried and trusted 3-5-2 system against Udinese on Saturday.

The Italian was tight-lipped on how the Hornets would line up on Saturday and says fans will have to wait and see when the starting XI is announced.

Sannino believes the clash with Bolton is an “exam” for his side and will indicate whether his squad are ready for the long Championship season ahead.

He said: “I would like to be able to cheer with the fans against Bolton tomorrow but they are a very good, organised side.

“But I am quite happy because I look at my players and I know that they want to win for the supporters, for the club and for the group. But they also want to win for themselves.”