Watford will need their more experienced players to help them win their next three games after Troy Deeney’s red card appeal was overturned, according to head coach Javi Gracia.

The skipper was sent off during Monday evening’s Premier League clash with Arsenal and has since learned that the decision, along with his three match ban, will be upheld.

Speaking ahead of the game against Huddersfield Town this weekend, Gracia said he still did not agree with the decision, but that it was now up to those with experienced heads to show leadership in the absence of the club’s talisman.

“I think everybody knows Troy’s very important for us,” he said.

“I saw the game again and it doesn’t change my opinion it’s the same.

“For me it’s not a red card and the club appealed, but we have lost, now we have to play the next games without Troy.

“But we’ve played other games without him and in this moment we can’t do anything different.

“We have to prepare the next game without him, we have other players, we prefer don’t complain about all these situations about these players we don’t have, we prefer to be focused on the next game, to prepare with the players we have and I’m sure we have other options.

“We have a captain on the pitch but there are other important players behind him.

“There are players with a lot of experience, we can speak about Foster, about Cathcart, about Mariappa, about Capoue, Doucoure - a lot of experienced players, all of them.

“It’s important to have this personality with Troy, but if we choose another player, that other player has his personality and I’m sure he can be important for the team as well.”

With the defeat against Arsenal on Monday night still fresh in Gracia’s memory, he is remaining positive about the way his side played.

However, the head coach believes that the upcoming schedule means he will need to have his whole squad playing at their best in order to maintain that positivity.

He said: “We did many things well, regardless of the result.

“I think we had a good performance, playing against Arsenal with ten players, in some moments to be able to dominate the game, defending for sure, but creating chances as well, clear chances some of them, I think it was good for us.

“Most important was the spirit of the team, we kept our style, ambition, desire until the end and when the game finished, you could see all the players were exhausted and it’s because all of them gave their best to try to win the game.

“Now, if you see from Saturday to Saturday, we have to play three games in seven days - a lot of games when there are only five games left to finish.

“We know in the next week we have important points in play and I think the squad know it and we are ready to compete.

Looking ahead to Saturday’s game against the Terriers, Gracia believes it will be a tough challenge, despite his opponent’s poor season, in which they have already had relegation confirmed.

He said: “We know how difficult it is for these teams to play the last games when they know they are relegated.

“I’m sure they are very good professionals, playing at home, they’re going to do their best to try to win and to try to offer this win for their supporters.

“Last season we suffered there, we lost the game 1-0, we know it will be very very demanding.”