A confident Slaven Bilić has several players unavailable for selection and is likely to stick with the same names he went for on Sunday in an impressive win at Stoke City. Wednesday night will be Bilic’s first game as manager of Watford at Vicarage Road.

The Watford Observer report : The Hornets were without the likes of Joao Pedro, Craig Cathcart and William Troost-Ekong for Sunday’s 4-0 win at Stoke, added to Tom Cleverley, Jeremy Ngakia and Tom Dele-Bashiru, who have been out longer term.

Our early game day news follows.

Bilić will supply Russell Martin with his biggest test of the season for the Sky TV red button game, and enthusiasts of a more relaxed evening can tune in to Talk Sport’s game of the day commentary as well. Looking ahead to Wednesday and referring to injuries the Watford boss said this morning. “It’s more a case of them being ready for Blackpool, or even for Norwich. But we have a decent squad and the situation provides opportunities on the pitch and on the bench. Things are getting better, and some of them are making really good progress. Some of the players who have been injured started training again with us yesterday.”

It is widely believed that Watford are under strength as a squad with their current injuries. Bilić responded. “It was a good start and very promising, we don’t have much time between the last game and the next game, but we have something to build on,” he said. Four goals scored, a clean sheet, that’s everything you want as a manager really.”

Bilić see’s this game as a far bigger test than Stoke a city as well. “Swansea are coming here on the back of two wins, and I think they are playing without too much pressure at the moment,” said Bilic “They’re a good side, who like us want to be on the ball a lot, they want to play. When we talk about confidence, those two wins they’ve just had make them a confident team. This will be a difficult game. Swansea play good football. I watched their last couple of games and they are on that wave of confidence I talk about because they beat West Brom away. That’s a big statement. You can’t talk about us winning at Stoke without also talking about them winning at West Brom. Swansea are a good side with a lot of confidence — but we are ready.”

It’s all getting set up for a cracking evening of entertaining football in Hertfordshire with Swansea City expected to hold their own briefing just before departure to their pre match base camp.

Artwork by Swansea Independent

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