Watford manager Walter Mazzarri is confident Mauro Zarate will respond positively to his season-ending knee injury.

The Argentine attacker, who joined the club from Fiorentina in January, ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament and damaged the medial collateral ligament in his right knee in the weekend's 1-1 draw with former club West Ham United.

"I speak with him almost daily," said Mazzarri. "We are all very disappointed and very sorry. It's his first big injury in his whole career.

"He was playing very well but with a foul from behind, it made his day black. Of course, he is a very important player but he was having his best moment and we will miss him.

"We will wait for him and we are sure he will come back stronger than before. I wanted to take him off as he was injured in the 20th minute and I kept asking how he was.

"I did ask him many times but for some reason, maybe because of his pride, he wanted to keep playing and decided to stay. Eventually the knee dropped completely later."