Mauricio's five-point preview - Watford

Mauricio Pochettino's five-point preview is back as we return to action against Watford in the Premier League at the new stadium on Saturday (3pm) following the international break.

It's the first of back-to-back home fixtures with Crvena zvezda (Red Star Belgrade) following quickly in the Champions League on Tuesday evening (8pm).

1 - The international break

Players often talk about the difficult scenario of losing the game before an international break, but after a tough week, was the break a good thing for us?

Mauricio: "It’s been a tough spell for us for different circumstances. The internationals arrived in a moment that maybe helped us to think clearer, to recover energy and to think a little about finding solutions. Now it’s time to work all together. Wednesday and Thursday were more about training, talking, meetings and trying to be ready for Watford. The players have come back okay apart from Christian Eriksen, a dead leg, and we need to assess him."

2 - Lo Celso, Sessegnon, Vorm

Giovani Lo Celso and Ryan Sessegnon have returned to full training after recovering from injury while Michel Vorm is back at the Club, signed again after injury to Hugo Lloris...

Mauricio: "Giovani and Ryan have been back in training as part of a small group during the week and now they need to build their fitness and momentum to try to help the team. We’ve been unlucky with Hugo Lloris, we’ll miss him for a long period, but Michel Vorm has arrived back, he knows us and he’s a very good person to be here in this type of situation because he is very positive. His energy is always good and he will help."

3 - Six games in 22 days...

Watford kicks-off a busy sequence including home and away fixtures in the Champions League against Crvena zvezda (Red Star Belgrade) and successive Sundays on Merseyside with trips to Liverpool (27 October) and Everton (3 November). How important is this spell?

"The most important is the next game, and then the next. You cannot think ‘six games in 22 days’, we need to think the most important game is the next game. We need to show our capacity, our potential and our togetherness and start to build a run. The most important thing now is the next game and to be right for Saturday. We can’t think about six games."

4 - Watford

What is Mauricio expecting from Watford on Saturday?

Mauricio: "It’s a difficult period for them as well. We are in a difficult period, both teams. They have replaced Javi Gracia with Quique Sanchez Flores and it’s a tough job for him and for Watford but we are both in a situation where we need to win and we will fight to try to take the three points. All the teams in the Premier League are difficult to play, the most important thing is how we approach the game."

5 - Our supporters

Back at Brighton, Mauricio singled out our fans for praise in his first answer post-match with Spurs TV. How big a part do the supporters have to play in our next two home matches?

Mauricio: "For sure, our fans will be behind us. They are always there. It’s easy to be in the situation when you are winning and you are in the final of the Champions League, or in the top four. Now it’s a moment to be all together and not avoid the responsibility. My responsibility is to work so hard to try to give them the happiness they deserve. I support and respect their opinion because if something is important in football, it’s the fans. The fans are always right. I feel responsible, I feel the love from them and we need to work hard to pay back that support and love and winning games is the best way to pay back all the love they show to us."