Watford boss Quique Sanchez Flores has explained holding back their youngsters.

Sam Dalby and Callum Whelan were both included in the squad that travelled up to Everton for Tuesday evening's Carabao Cup clash, but neither were used in the defeat.

Sanchez Flores said, "In that case with Whelan and Dalby, we love both of them. We have guys working with us, four or five every single week and we love to work with them, they have good spirit. The academy I think they have good spirit a long with the coaches in the academy, they're really good, they're always ready to give us what we need so it's amazing.

"Of course this is not the best scenario for them. Sometimes they're there because there are injuries or because the situation is really bad and you don't have players and then they appear. If I had to choose I would prefer to put them in when the scenario is positive.

"I would prefer because if not it's too much pressure for them sometimes and it's not necessary, so I would like to put them in when they have a positive scenario."