Preview: Watford vs Wrexham - prediction, team news, lineups

Wrexham make the trip to Vicarage Road to face Watford on Tuesday evening looking for a win that will strengthen their playoff bid.

At a time when the Welsh outfit sit in sixth position in the Championship table, Watford are in 10th, sitting eight points adrift of the visitors.

Match preview

After back-to-back defeats to Chelsea and Hull City, the pressure on Wrexham was ramped up ahead of Friday's Welsh derby with Swansea City.

However, faced with the possibility of the visitors moving to within two points of them in the standings, Wrexham responded with a morale-boosting 2-0 victory.

As well as securing bragging rights, it ensured that Wrexham ended the weekend just three points off fifth-placed Hull after the Tigers suffered a surprise 3-0 defeat to West Bromwich Albion a day later.

While a relentless Southampton are only three points behind Wrexham, Phil Parkinson will want his Wrexham players to focus on themselves, particularly when six of their remaining nine matches are away from the Racecourse Ground.

Nevertheless, Wrexham have accumulated 27 points from their 17 such fixtures, only losing four times and not suffering an away defeat since the reverse fixture at Swansea on December 19.

Watford, meanwhile, head into this contest aware that only a win will realistically do if they want to remain in the promotion hunt.

Ed Still has delivered eight points from his first six matches in charge, producing an even return of two wins, two draws and two defeats.

The second of those setbacks came at Stoke City on Saturday, the Hornets going down to a 3-1 defeat to opponents who are now 13th and just one behind them.

Given Watford's track record when it comes to sacking managers, Still will recognise that he is fighting to keep his job for next season at the same time as trying to earn a top-six spot.

Despite holding the eighth-best home record in the division, Watford have only won two of their last six league matches at Vicarage Road.

Watford Championship form:

D W L W D L

Wrexham Championship form:

D W W W L W

Wrexham form (all competitions):

W W W L L W

Team News

Still is expected to make a number of changes to his Watford XI, with Nestory Irankunda and Luca Kjerrumgaard both in contention to start in attack.

Mattie Pollock may also be considered for a start in defence ahead of either Saba Goglichidze or Stephen Mfuni.

The likes of Jeremy Ngakia, Kwadwo Baah and Rocco Vata remain absent for the Hornets.

Barring any fresh injury issues, Parkinson could select the same Wrexham team that started versus Swansea.

If an alteration is made, Josh Windass will be top of the list to feature in the final third.

George Dobson serves the final game of a three-match ban, while Liberato Cacace, Ben Sheaf and Kieffer Moore are still sidelined.

Watford possible starting lineup:

Selvik; Abankwah, Pollock, Mfuni, Bola; Ince, Louza, Mendy, Chakvetadze; Irankunda, Kjerrumgaard

Wrexham possible starting lineup:

Okonkwo; Cleworth, Hyam, Doyle; Kabore, Vyner, O'Brien, Thomason; Rathbone, Broadhead; Smith

We say: Watford 1-2 Wrexham

With Watford having stabilised under Still, this should prove to be a competitive encounter. However, the extra rest day for Wrexham could prove pivotal, and we are backing the away side to edge this contest in the closing stages.

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