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Busy holiday period all new to Watford's Flores

LONDON (Reuters) - Quique Sanchez Flores, who has led promoted Watford to seventh place in the Premier League, admits the fixture congestion over English football's Christmas and new year period will be something completely new to him.

Busy holiday period all new to Watford's Flores
(Reuters)

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Source: Reuters


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Starting this weekend his unexpectedly successful side face four of last season's top-six teams.

After a visit from Liverpool on Sunday they meet Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur in the space of 48 hours, then Manchester City.

Having three of those games at home guarantees an exciting holiday period for last season's Championship runners-up but will test a squad that Flores will have to rotate from match to match.

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"This is the first time I will ever manage in this type of situation," he told reporters on Friday.

"The recovery of the players is going to be very important in the next two weeks.

"But I have a squad and I would like everyone to play.

"The team has been working very well this season and that has meant it hasn’t been easy to make many changes to the team."

"It is impossible for every player to play all the minutes in the next four games."

The Spaniard has made an impressive start in English football since taking over as manager in the close-season, but made it clear that he would like to strengthen his squad further in the January transfer window.

Fifteen of the team's 18 goals have come from two players -- Odion Ighalo (10) and captain Troy Deeney (five) -- prompting concern about what would happen if either was injured.

"For sure someone is coming in," the manager said.

"It's important to think all the time about how we improve the team."

As for the immediate challenge to be faced on Sunday, Flores said Liverpool were one of the most important teams in England.

"So it is amazing for the manager, for the players and for the fans to play against them in what will be an amazing atmosphere," he told the club's video service Hornets PlayerHD.

"He transmits a very positive atmosphere for the players and for the fans of Liverpool," Flores said of opposing manager Juergen Klopp.

(Reporting by Steve Tongue, editing by Ed Osmond)


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