Strike duo Marvin Sordell and Danny Graham have returned to training and should be fit to face Derby County tomorrow (Saturday).

The Watford strikers, who have scored a combined total of 15 goals in 15 games in all competitions this season, both went off injured during the 2-0 defeat to Scunthorpe United but returned to training yesterday (Thursday).

Graham’s back injury is of more concern to Watford but manager Malky Mackay believes his top scorer should recover in time.

“Marvin has been training today, Danny has also trained but his was a lighter session,” Mackay confirmed yesterday afternoon.

“So Marvin should be available for selection. It was a lighter session for Danny so he will be with the physios again today and will be back in with us tomorrow, so he should also be ok.”

Don Cowie is Watford’s sole long-term absentee, with medial knee ligament damage, and Lee Hodson is the only other player doubtful for this weekend’s trip to Pride Park.

Mackay said: “Lee Hodson has twisted his back in training so he is a big concern for us. We have a couple of bumps and bruises but no one other than that looks like they will not be available.”

Tomorrow will mark Adrian Mariappa’s 150th start for Watford, which will also be the centre back’s 100th consecutive start.

The clash with Derby will see John Eustace return to Pride Park, where the Watford captain spent the second half of the 2008/09 season when his Hornets career seemed over under Brendan Rodgers.

Derby manager Nigel Clough has strengthened his squad in recent weeks with the addition of three loanees. England Under-21 goalkeeper Frankie Fielding has been brought in to replace the injured Stephen Bywater and strikers Luke Moore and Shefki Kuqi have arrived from West Bromwich Albion and Swansea City respectively.

Bywater is joined on the sidelines by Miles Addison, Jake Buxton, Steven Davies and Chris Porter, while Stephen Pearson is expected to only be fit enough for a place on the bench.

Derby have enjoyed a good run of form recently, despite Saturday’s 2-0 defeat to Millwall, with four wins in their last six matches, but Mackay believes County should be in the top half of the Championship with the squad at Clough’s disposal.

Mackay said: “You look at the set up there, look at the squad, the amount of players they have and the experience of the squad and they should be up there.”

Mackay has this week confirmed full-back Andrew Taylor will remain at Watford until at least January despite Middlesbrough appointing a new manager in Tony Mowbray.

Former West Bromwich Albion and Celtic manager Mowbray was named as Gordon Strachan’s replacement on Tuesday and Mackay said, although they have talked, the future of Taylor has not been discussed.

Mackay said: “We have exchanged texts in terms of congratulating him on getting the job but as far as Andrew is concerned, we have not spoken about that at all.

“He is our player until the turn of the year and we were always aware that clubs have the chance to reassess the situation, so it is out of my control come January. There is no point in worrying about it at the moment.

“Right now Andrew is doing a fine job for us and is enjoying being here and he looks as if he has slotted right in. He has thrown himself into everything we do here and applied himself like he is a Watford player. In these situations you just have to bide your time.”