Javi Gracia is hopeful both Gerard Deulofeu and Roberto Pereyra will be available to be involved against Brighton & Hove Albion when Watford get their new Premier League campaign underway on Saturday.

Deulofeu has not featured in either of the Hornets’ last two pre-season friendlies as the medical staff manage a muscle problem, while Pereya only returned to training last weekend after his involvement in Argentina’s Copa America campaign.

Speaking after yesterday’s 2-1 victory over Real Sociedad, Gracia said: “Pereyra finished [his season] later than the rest of the team and after three weeks resting he has started to train.

"Some days he’s training with the team, others alone but I think he will be ready for the next game, not at his best level but he will be ready to compete.

“Gerard is training. Maybe on Tuesday he will train with the team and I think he will be ready.”

The Watford head coach chose to name only six substitutes for yesterday’s Graham Taylor Matchday at Vicarage Road.

He explained: “We trained yesterday and we played a game at the training ground and some players played for 90 minutes and I prefer to give importance to those minutes. It’s better than to try to make substitutes or try to find the solution to play better [against Sociedad].

"For me the main objective today was for the most amount of players to play 90 minutes.”