Javi Gracia expects Abdoulaye Doucoure to be fit for the start of the Premier League season after shedding more light on his Gerard Deulofeu and Nathaniel Chalobah’s pre-season absence.

The trio have not featured in any of Watford’s three friendly games so far, and were once again not in the matchday squad as Andre Gray netted in a 1-0 win over Stevenage.

With Doucoure previously flirting with a Vicarage Road exit, many have drawn the conclusion he will depart the club this summer.

However, Gracia, while refusing to discuss the nature of the Frenchman’s injury, insists the midfielder, along with Chalobah and Deulofeu, will be available feature against Brighton on August 11.

“I think he will be fit to start the season,” Gracia said. “In this moment Doucoure feels some pain and needs to rest a couple of days and I think for next week he will be ready.

“Gerard and Chalobah finished last season injured and in this moment they are not available yet and in the next week I think they can be with the team.”

Gracia once again opted to deploy Ben Wilmot in an unfamiliar central midfield role against Stevenage, a position the centre-back has played throughout pre-season.

The Spaniard accepted that playing Wilmot in the position shows a lack of options available in the area, but believes Watford are well stocked in midfield once players return to fitness.

He said: “As you can see from the team in this moment, we have players on trial or Ben Wilmot playing as a midfielder even though he played a centre-back until this game, Tommie Hoban as well played there.

“It is a position we need players but if we recover the players who are are injured then we have very good players, with Doucoure, Chalobah and Cleverley.”