Sarr: Watford rivals know how dangerous Senegal star is – Hodgson

Watford manager Roy Hodgson has described winger Ismaila Sarr as a dangerous player ahead of the team’s Premier League fixture against Aston Villa on Saturday.

The Hornets will head into the clash at Villa Park seeing to end a bad run of seven matches without a win in all competitions. Watford’s last victory in the top-flight came in a 2-1 result against Brentford at Vicarage Road on December 1, 2021.

The former England manager believes Sarr, who recently won the Africa Cup of Nations trophy with Senegal in Cameroon, has an excellent track record and will be of help as they strive to avoid relegation.

“He’s an important player for the club, there’s no doubt about that,” the 74-year-old Hodgson told the club’s official website. “His track record is excellent and I’m certain our opponents are very much aware of how dangerous he can be.

“His work in training this week has been good. We’re still at an early stage with him, but my first impressions of him have been as good as everyone told me they were going to be.”

In a previous interview, Sarr, who could be handed his first start since returning from Cameroon against Villa, has called on his teammates to fight every day to avoid being relegated.

“I am always happy when I come back here, because this is my club, and this is my home,” Sarr told the same portal. “I live here and for me, this is home. I’m very pleased and happy to see the reception from the fans when I went for the warm-up.

“When I stepped on the pitch, everyone was cheering and clapping, which made me very happy.

“It’s very important that everyone comes together now and we all need to fight together. From the players to the manager, the staff, and the board, we need to get together to try and get out of this situation.

“This situation reminds me a lot of two years ago when we were in the Premier League, and we cannot afford for the same thing to happen again. We need to work hard, but not tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we need to do it from now.”

Meanwhile, Hodgson has been boosted with the return of Nigeria player Peter Etebo ahead of the Villa match. The 26-year-old has stepped up his recovery from a quad injury sustained against Newcastle United in September and will be available for selection.