Watford have been boosted by the news Roberto Pereyra will not be sidelined for a prolonged period.
The Argentine playmaker limped off during last weekend's 4-2 defeat at Chelsea amid fears he had injured the knee he required surgery on last year.
However, the Hornets were relieved to hear Pereyra had sustained no damage to the knee.
He will miss Saturday's visit of Stoke due to a hamstring niggle but could return against Everton the following weekend.
"We had a problem with Roberto in the last match,'' Hornets boss Marco Silva said at his prematch news conference.
"He's out for Saturday. I can't say to you 100 percent sure [that he will be fit to face Everton] but we hope.
"He will be a big miss to us, just like some of the others.
"He came in, did very well in the last game again and we hope if not for the next match then after the break he is available.''
Andre Carrillo could come into the starting lineup in place of Pereyra while Will Hughes, the summer signing from Derby, is pushing to finally make his Premier League debut.
Defenders Sebastian Prodl and Younes Kaboul are still sidelined but Silva hopes the duo, who have been out since early September, will be back soon.
"We believe in the next few days and even a week that they will start to do full training with the team,'' he added.
Isaac Success, Nathaniel Chalobah and Craig Cathcart remain long-term absentees with knee injuries.
