Walter Mazzarri suggests Odion Ighalo remains an important player at Watford.

So far this term, the Nigerian striker has failed to reach the standards he set last season when he scored 16 Premier League goals for the Hornets.

Ighalo, 27, has scored just one league goal in 11 appearances for a total of two in 12 matches in all competitions but Mazzarri has not lost faith.

"I speak about what I know and I speak about what I have seen so far this season," Mazzarri said.

"He is a player that I like and I trust very much.

"When he was in a good condition at the beginning of the year he played, and started the games. Of course he is a player that we need.

"He is in competition at the same level with all the other strikers, and if we want to grow as a club and in the future go further in competitions, then you need to have at least six important strikers and Ighalo is one of them."