Bove will be on the bench as Still targets front-foot style.

Edoardo Bove might make his Watford debut against Preston on Saturday, as new manager Ed Still stated the Italian will start on the bench.

Bove signed as a free agent in January, having not played football since suffering a heart collapse while playing for Fiorentina against Inter Milan in December of 2024.

He has been increasing his fitness levels at London Colney lately, and after training all week, he is poised to play as a substitute at Deepdale.

Mattie Pollock will be called up late after returning to training after a hamstring injury, while Hector Kyprianou and Rocco Vata are long-term absentees, and Nestory Irankunda has been suspended. Still stated, “He [Bove] will be on the bench on Saturday. I’m really pleased that he will be because he’s a top player, as he’s shown in Italy.”

“He’s been out for a long time and is eager to get going again.”We just need to harness his enthusiasm so that he’s useful for the team rather than just himself, but I’m glad we can have him on the bench.

“His game time will be limited this weekend and possibly for the next several weeks, but we also need to get him up to speed in competitive games.

“Mattie Pollock is doing well; he had a great training week. We need to decide between now and Saturday whether he’s fit enough to start because he’s really vital to us, but we don’t want to lose him.

We need to review his training and physical load. He expressed good health throughout our conversation this morning.

Still encourages Watford to work together and approach the play-offs constructively. “He wants to start on Saturday, so we’ll see.” It’s a case of seeing how he reacts on Friday and then proceeding from there.”

Still believes his side is talented enough to finish in the play-offs this season, but recognises the need of a quick start in convincing both supporters and players that it is achievable.

To do this, the 35-year-old believes his team must play an aggressive, high-tempo brand of football. The upcoming game will be one of the most challenging of the season, but based on the squad’s performance this week, we are confident in our ability to win.

As a fan, I’ve seen far too many games in which centre-backs pass the ball between themselves for 10 minutes before passing it to the full-back, then back to the keeper. It is not my thing. We aim to play forwards with speed.

“It may take a few games to see all of it.” It’s one of those situations where you need a little extra time but don’t have much, which is why these days have been so crucial.

We can convey our desired message to players through video meetings. “If we’re clear enough on the training pitch, hopefully we can see the first signs of that on Saturday.”

Kwadwo Baah and Irankunda are two players that have played few minutes in recent weeks, having not started a game since November.

Irankunda is suspended for Saturday’s game, but Baah is available, and his pace looks to be a major advantage.

We also require power and players who are intelligent enough to pick up second balls in midfield, play on the half-turn, and go forward swiftly. “These are the team’s criteria for Saturday. Baah has excelled in training.

Unfortunately, Irankunda is suspended, but he has been amazing and exciting. “It’s a privilege for a coach to have profiles like that since they’re the most difficult to find.

“Hopefully they believe they will be given an opportunity, and it is up to them to grab it.”We’ve had 22 players train over the last couple of days, which I think will be pretty much our full squad.

If they do that, selection becomes very easy.” It’s a good size, not too enormous, yet it requires us to make difficult decisions every weekend.

“We’ve got a lot of midweek games coming up, and one thing I’ve made plain is that we’re going to draft a team that’s 100% fit, fresh, and focused.”That allows us to focus all of our energy on the pitch.

If a player isn’t 100% or is fatigued, that’s okay; we have enough players and will go with those who are fully fit and sharp.

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