Gianfranco Zola has stressed Watford have achieved “nothing yet” and believes his team will get better with time despite increasing their unbeaten run to seven matches.

The Hornets moved into the play-offs at the weekend following their 4-1 victory over Barnsley and have now won four of their last five matches, scoring 18 goals in the process.

However, Zola stressed: “I think that we can still improve. There are players that, in my opinion, still haven’t reached their full potential, so I think as a team we will keep improving.”

He continued: “As far as I can see, we don’t have a problem keeping the players’ feet on the ground because the players are responsible and intelligent people. They don’t need me to remind them all the time about how important it is to stay focused and to stay calm.

“We are at the stage of the season where we have done nothing yet. We are doing good things and we want to have this position at the end of the Championship, not at the half-way point and I am sure they are intelligent enough to realise this.”

Watford had lost three of the previous four games prior to the current seven-match unbeaten run.

When asked why their fortunes had improved so drastically, the Italian replied: “I would love to think our form is because we are a good team and we are doing things in the right way and we are improving.

“I don't think it is because of anything else. We just work hard and we believe in what we are doing. Everyone is putting in 100 per cent effort and this is creating the results for us.

“It’s a good moment for us in term of creating and scoring goals.

“We need to maintain the balance though because it is a difficult Championship and a lot of the things which are happening to us is because we have great confidence. And we want that confidence in a few months time so we need to maintain our attention and hard work. That is the important thing for us.”

Watford had a friendly away to Gillingham on Tuesday, with Almen Abdi and Prince Buaben both given half an hour of game time during the 4-1 victory as they recover from injury.

Zola said he was pleased to see Abdi and Buaben return to action and was impressed with his team’s performance.

“I will make a decision on Abdi and Buaben on Friday; I have to see a couple of things,” Zola said.

“They are both certainly in good condition, especially Almen as he only had a problem with his shoulder and it didn’t stop him from training that much.

“The players that are definitely out of Saturday’s game with Hull are Nyron Nosworthy and John Eustace. That should be it, everyone else is available.

“Ikechi Anya and Lloyd Doyley should be joining the team for training tomorrow (Thursday) or the day after (Friday), so they could be available for selection.”

Hull City are two points and one place ahead of Watford in the table. The Tigers have won their last two away games and have only lost twice in their last eight.

Sone Aluko, who has scored eight league goals this season following his arrival from Glasgow Rangers, missed their last game away at Nottingham Forest with a calf strain and is their only injury doubt. However, the skilful forward trained yesterday.