Blues boss Kieran McKenna is looking for his side to iron out the mistakes which led to the weekend defeat at Wrexham, while showing some of the pluses from that performance when they travel to take on Watford in their fourth successive away game on Tuesday evening.

That run would have been five but for the postponed match at Portsmouth, which the squad still travelled for, with results up to now more negative than positive, the excellent 2-1 win at Derby having been followed by back-to-back defeats at Wrexham, 1-0 in the FA Cup and then 5-3 on Saturday.

McKenna wants his side to remedy the factors which led to the weekend loss but while still showing the positives which saw the Blues come from behind twice to lead 3-2 in the early stages of the second half.

“It’s going to come round quick and we need to prepare and be ready,” he said speaking after the loss at the Racecourse Ground.

“They’ve picked up two good results now under the new manager [Ed Still], so they’ll be coming in with confidence and we need to be ready to deliver a really strong performance, rectify some of the errors we made against Wrexham, show some of the good things that we showed and ultimately do enough to get the result that we want.

“We know it’s going to be a really tough game. Saturday-Tuesday back-to-back away from home is a challenge as well but it’s a challenge that we have to find a way to overcome.”

Watford are currently ninth, but only three points off the play-offs having beaten Derby 2-0 at Vicarage Road on Saturday.

That win ended a seven-game winless Championship run - eight including the 5-1 FA Cup exit at Bristol City - following four victories on the bounce over Christmas.

The Hornets have the fourth best home form in the division having won nine, drawn five and lost three at Vicarage Road this season. Only Coventry, Town and Middlesbrough have picked up more points on their own turf.

Seven Championship sides have scored more at home than their total of 26 and the same number have conceded fewer than the 17 the Hertfordshire side have shipped.

New boss Still, managing in England for the first time having cut his teeth in his home country of Belgium, became the Hornets’ third head coach of the season when he was appointed just under a fortnight ago following Javi Gracia’s resignation.

So far, he is unbeaten, having drawn 2-2 at Preston in his opening game, before the win against the Rams in his first home match at the weekend.

Asked whether much had changed under Watford’s latest boss, McKenna said: “I think everyone puts their twist on it and there are a few bits that are different.

“They’ve got good players, most of the players are the same, they’ve played a back four with their last couple of managers this season.

“So there are a lot of similarities, but the new manager’s put his twist on it and it’s obviously helped him so far.

“We’ll, of course, respect them in the preparation and how we approach the game and know that we’re going to have to do really well to get a result.”

Town have good memories of their last trip to Vicarage Road when they came from behind to claim a 2-1 victory to go top of the Championship, the last time they recorded a win on their travels having conceded first.

“One that we have fond memories of,” McKenna recalled. “I think it’s safe to say it doesn’t help, but certainly not hinder us, in any way going into this one.

“It’s always great when you can win away from home, especially on a Tuesday night in front of your hard-travelling fans who come and support you. We’ll need to make sure we really do everything we can to get a result on Tuesday night.”

With the game the second of three in a week, Swansea visit Portman Road on Saturday, McKenna will assess his squad prior to making his team selection.

“Let’s see,” he added. “We’ve got one or two coming back from injury and two new players in the building, so we’ll try and make the right judgements.

“But the group’s come into it fresh [at Wrexham], so I don’t think there’ll be too many issues going into Tuesday night. We’ll pick the team that we think’s best for the game.”

Quizzed on whether Marcelino Nunez, back from his ankle injury to come on in the 70th minute in North Wales, is ready to start matches, McKenna said: “I would have thought so. He’s missed a fair bit of time, but he’s got some minutes today. Fitness-wise, he’s ready to go.”

The Team

Christian Walton looks set to continue in goal having conceded five or more for the third time in his Town career on Saturday.

Despite the goals at the weekend, the Town backline is still the third-tightest in the division with only Stoke, 31, and Middlesbrough, 33, having conceded fewer than the Blues’ total of 34, so McKenna may not look to make changes.

Darnell Furlong, skipper Dara O’Shea, Cedric Kipre and Leif Davis seem likely to keep their places with Jacob Greaves replacing the Ivorian the most likely switch if the Blues boss opts to make one.

Azor Matusiwa, who remains on nine bookings with a 10th leading to a two-game ban having gone 12 matches without a yellow card with another six fixtures to be played before the cut-off, could be partnered by Dan Neil, who would be making his first league start for the Blues, with Jens Cajuste an alternative option.

McKenna seems likely to make changes to his front four with Kasey McAteer perhaps coming in on the right, with Sindre Walle Egeli also vying for that spot, and Marcelino Nunez in the number 10 role. With Jaden Philogene still out, Jack Clarke could start again but with Chuba Akpom also in the running for a start in the left-sided role.

George Hirst seems likely to come back in as the number nine for Ivan Azon, who scored his third goal of the season and first as a starter at the weekend.

History

Historically, the sides are closely matched with the Blues having won 28 games (25 in the league) and Watford 26 (25 in the league), while 19 (19) have ended in draws.

Town are unbeaten in five against the Hornets, winning the first three in that streak, with their most recent defeat a 3-1 loss under Mick McCarthy’s management in April 2014. At that point, the Blues had won only once in 19 games between the teams in all competitions.

At Portman Road in November, Town spurned a succession of second-half chances as they drew 1-1 with Watford.

Imran Louza gave the Hornets the lead in the 16th minute but the Blues hit back through Philogene five minutes later.

While chances were few and far between in the first half, Town had plenty in a second period they dominated but failed to find what would have been a deserved winner.

The teams last met at Vicarage Road in December 2023 when the Blues climbed to the top of the Championship after they came from a goal down to win 2-1 at Watford, skipper Sam Morsy netting the winner 10 minutes from time.

Yaser Asprilla gave Watford the lead in the 12th minute but Hirst levelled for the Blues on 24 before Morsy seized on an error by Hornets captain Wesley Hoedt to claim all three points.

Familiar Faces

Blues full-back Ashley Young, who is currently out with a hip problem, began his career at Watford, joining the club aged 10. He went on to make 83 starts and 27 sub appearances, scoring 22 goals, before departing for Aston Villa in January 2007 for £9.65 million.

Town assistant manager Martyn Pert has had two spells at Watford, between March 2005 and November 2008 as a conditioning coach and then again from July 2009 until September 2010 as head of conditioning.

The Blues’ head of goalkeeping Rene Gilmartin had two stints with the Hornets as a player, between 2010 and 2012 and from 2014 until 2017, but made only seven senior appearances, all in his first stint.

CEO and chairman Mark Ashton was chief executive with Watford from June 2004 until December 2008.

Officials

Tuesday’s referee is Ben Toner, his assistants Conor Brown and Ian Cooper, and fourth official Farai Hallam.

Lancashire-based Toner has shown 71 yellow cards and five red in his 19 games so far this season.

Toner’s last Town game was the 4-1 FA Cup fourth-round win at Coventry in February 2025 in which he awarded the Blues a penalty 20 seconds after the game had got under way for a foul on Sammie Szmodics, Hirst netting from the spot. Toner kept his cards in his pocket throughout.

He was also in charge of the crucial 3-0 win at Barnsley in April 2023, a result which saw the Blues to within two points from promotion to the Championship with two games to play, in which he booked Hirst, Morsy, Walton and three Tykes.

Before that, he refereed the 1-0 defeat at Wycombe in December 2022 in which he booked four Chairboys and no Blues.

Toner was also in charge of the 1-0 win at Burton in August in which he cautioned George Edmundson, Greg Leigh and one Brewer.

Prior to that he was in middle for the 2-1 defeat at Peterborough in February 2021 in which he booked Flynn Downes and Andre Dozzell.

Toner also refereed the 4-1 home victory over Tranmere in September 2019 in which he yellow-carded James Norwood and two of the visitors.

His only other Blues match was the 1-0 FA Cup replay defeat at Lincoln City in January 2017 in which he cautioned Jonathan Douglas and two home players.

Squad From

Walton, Palmer, Williamson, Furlong, Johnson, Davis, O’Shea (c), Greaves, Kipre, Matusiwa, Cajuste, Neil, Taylor, Clarke, Burns, Walle Egeli, McAteer, Nunez, Mehmeti, Akpom, Hirst, Azon.

Photo: TWTD