Rene Gilmartin is set to leave Watford on loan as the goalkeeper aims to regain the sharpness which resulted in him being dropped from the side after just two matches.

Loach was left out in the league for the first time in three years prior to the Millwall game and replaced by Gilmartin, who had to wait 14 months for his Championship debut.

The Irishman was expected to receive a run in the side but he was replaced by Loach on Saturday after only a couple of games.

“Only one keeper can play and I stated when Scott came out that he just needed a rest and needed to have a look at it,” manager Sean Dyche explained this week.

“Rene went in and did okay. He needs games though, to be really sharp and ready.

“We have had a chat about that and we were hoping to get him out on loan before he went in for Scott and we are still hoping to get him out on loan because he needs games.

“I thought if anything, he looked like he was feeling his way in and we have not got our time for that at the moment, we need to deliver straight away.

“There was no problem, he didn’t let us down and it was just a case that he needed games to be sharper and ready to play.”

Dyche admitted Gilmartin was disappointed to be dropped from the side so quickly but the Hornets boss claimed he wanted that reaction from the Irishman.

He said: “Rene took it like any other player, with disappointment and that is what I expect from my players.

“I want them to be disappointed if they are not playing. You want players who want to play, simple as that.”

Should Gilmartin go out on loan then he will be replaced on the substitute bench by first-year professional Jonathan Bond, who has recently finished a loan spell at non-league Brackley Town – although he was training with Watford during that time.

Bond, 18, has yet to make an appearance in the Football League but he is highly rated and was called up to the full Wales squad last year while still a second-year scholar.

Dyche added: “We have a nice little bit of competition now between our goalkeepers in Rene, Scott and Jonathan Bond, who did well in his loan spell.”