Watford boss Quique Sanchez Flores says Troy Deeney is not ready to return from injury.

The Hornets' skipper and talisman has been sidelined since August after having knee surgery.

When asked if he would be available sooner rather than later, Sanchez Flores simply said: "I don't think so. With Troy the medical staff is working really well, but the time is time.

"Maybe I think between four or five weeks is the limit to the recovery, so I guess that maybe in two or three weeks he is running again."

Sanchez Flores added: "Always we miss him, of course, it's the character of the team, the philosophy, what we want, the spirit," he said.

"We try to transmit to the players these things also, it's not that we depend on one player, he's very important we know but we have a lot of players with high quality, good skills and it's not just about the spirit it's also about how we can play."