Watford forward Gerard Deulofeu is likely to be out for the remainder of the season following his injury sustained in the Hornets' 3-0 win over Liverpool on Saturday.
The 25-year-old was taken off on a stretcher 37 minutes into the match at Vicarage Road, and scans have since confirmed that the Spaniard suffered an ACL injury.
Speaking to Sky Sports News, manager Nigel Pearson confirmed that his side will have to cope without Deulofeu as they battle against the drop.
"Unfortunately for us the scan results really show he is probably going to be out for the rest of the season," Pearson said.
"The initial scan results show that he has got an ACL [injury], which is a really bad thing for us because he has been such an important player for us.
"For sure Gerry is going to be a miss for us. But we'll have to cope. It's important we look forward with a positive mentality but it's certainly not good news for us for sure."
Deulofeu has registered four goals and five assists this season as Watford lie 17th in the table.
Ben Knapton
