Gianfranco Zola has made two changes to his side as Watford aim to get back on track against Brighton and Hove Albion tonight following back-to-back league defeats.

Italian international Marco Cassetti makes his first start for the Hornets, as does Fernando Forestieri after coming off the bench in the 2-1 defeat at Bolton Wanderers.

The players to make way are, perhaps surprisingly, Lloyd Doyley , who has to settle for a place on the bench, while Sean Murray misses out through injury.

While the Hornets have shipped seven goals in those defeats, Zola’s former Chelsea team-mate Gus Poyet’s Seagulls have netted 11 in a sequence of three straight wins that has taken them up to third in the early-season table.

The Brighton boss includes three ex-Hornets in his starting line-up – Will Buckley and former loanees Tomasz Kuszczak and Liam Bridcutt – while in-form Watford-born striker Craig Mackail-Smith is also included in a team that features just the one change from the 3-0 victory over Sheffield Wednesday.

That alteration sees Andrea Orlandi come in for Ashley Barnes, who is among the substitutes.

Watford: Almunia; Cassetti, Nosworthy, Neuton, Pudil; Hogg, Abdi, Yeates; Forestieri, Iwelumo, Vydra. Substitutes: Doyley, Beleck, Forsyth, Smith, Bond, Hoban, Chalobah.

Brighton & Hove Albion: Kuszczak; Bruno, Greer, El-Abd, Bridge; Hammond, Dicker, Bridcutt, Buckley; Orlandi; Mackail-Smith. Substitutes: Dunk, Barnes, Dobbie, Calderon, Ankergren, Harley, Lopez.