Watford are going to be a difficult post-Europa test for Manchester United.

Jose Mourinho isn't familiar with the ugly trips on a Thursday night and this is his first taste of following up midweek football with his Manchester United squad. His failure to rotate his cost him dearly in previous jobs and it will be a tricky skill in this one.

The Hornets, conversely, are fresh from a stunning comeback away at West Ham. Showing their ability to find recover from great adversity and dominate a strong Hammers team, this is a Watford side that will be under-rated by many throughout the course of this season.

Still licking their wounds from a footballing lesson in the Manchester derby, it would be out of character for a Mourinho side to follow one defeat with another. A strong, resilient performance is expected from the Red Devils.

It won't be plain sailing, though. And these Watford players will be pivotal...

Troy Deeney

 

Deeney was perhaps unlucky to miss out on England's Euro 16 squad after 13 goal debut Premier League season and he has started this season in similar, dominating manner.

Averaging 5.5 aerials won per game, the 28-year-old forward is the main focal point of the Hornets attack, with Ighalo looking to run off him. His strike partner found the net against West Ham as he aims to rediscover the form that made him one of the league's most prolific strikers in the first half of last season.

Deeney will physically challenge Eric Bailly from the off and should immediately look to engage Daley Blind in a physical battle.

Etienne Capoue

No one, probably including Capoue himself, expected the French central midfielder to be one of the league's top scorers after four games.

Now playing in a three-man midfield, Capoue as the opportunity to break forward down the inside left channel and will attack Antonio Valencia centrally, giving him a challenge on which run to cover. His ability to run beyond Deeney and Ighalo causes problems and could stretch a fatigued Manchester United defence.

Someone who has started the season at such a rate will need to be closely marked throughout.

Nordin Amrabat

Amrabat may have hoped to play alongside one of Deeney or Ighalo this season, but he has found himself in and industrious role on the right wing. Charged with protecting the defence from Luke Shaw's energetic overlaps and offering the out ball to the flank when in possession, his role is integral to the way that Watford are setting up under Walter Mazzarri.

If he can throw off the defensive shackles on occasion, Amrabat has the talent to really cause problems out wide and his presence should create more space for Watford's central players to cause damage.