PLYMOUTH Argyle will be looking to extend their unbeaten run to three games in the Sky Bet Championship when they play host to Watford at Home Park this evening (8pm).
A 1-0 victory over Portsmouth in their last home game was followed up days later with a hard-fought 1-1 draw on the road at Derby County.
Since then, Wayne Rooney’s side – who currently sit 18th in the standings – have been inactive due to the recent international break. However, they face a testing return to action against Tom Cleverley’s sixth-placed Hornets.
The two sides have already met this season in the Carabao Cup, Watford winning 2-0 on that occasion, but Rooney is hopeful his side’s recent upturn in form can be continued in front of another bumper home crowd.
“Watford are a good team, a physical team,” said the Argyle boss. “They have some good individual players and we know we have to be at our best to win the game on Friday night.
“We know what to expect from their point of view, but we also have a game plan which we think will nullify their strengths and allow us to go and get a positive result.”
Rooney’s selection plans have been boosted by the return to fitness of key defender Lewis Gibson, who has missed the last four games due to a thigh injury he picked up in the 1-0 defeat away to Millwall.
In his absence, Julio Pleguezuelo has stepped into the starting line-up, producing some impressive displays at the heart of the Argyle defence.
It means Rooney will have a decision to make over whether he sticks with the Spaniard or reverts back to Gibson, who has been in impressive form for the Pilgrims all season.
Elsewhere, Rooney confirmed that both goalkeeper Conor Hazard and defender Brendan Galloway are a ‘couple of weeks’ away from returning to action.