Watford have been drawn away to Preston in the second round of the Capital One Cup.
Head coach, Quique Sanchez Flores, would surely have preferred a home tie, with this game the second of three in six days, but he will have to put up with the lengthy journey up north.
The game will be seen as an opportunity for Flores to rotate his squad, with the likes of Miguel Britos, Steven Berghuis and Matej Vydra unlikely to have seen much first-team action by that point.
Preston will be looking to take the scalp of a Premier League opponent, as Simon Grayson attempts to lead his side on a cup run.
They came through the first round game at Crewe and know that if they won here then they’d be in the hat with the biggest sides in England in the next round.
The Lilywhites will play the Hornets for the first time since May 2011, when an already relegated Preston side triumphed 3-1 on the final weekend of the season.
So close to Luton
There was much excitement amongst Watford fans as the draw progressed, with the realisation that local rivals Luton Town were a possible destination for the Hornets.
With the non-seeded sides pre-drawn, viewers knew that Luton would host the penultimate side drawn out of the hat. When just Watford and Stoke City remained, there was brief excitement that an old rivalry could be reignited for the first time since 2006.
It was Mark Hughes’ side that Sky pundit Alan Smith drew to visit Kenilworth Road, to the disappointment of some and the relief of others who were pleased to avoid the confrontation.
The two sides now haven’t met in over nine years, since a 1-1 draw at Vicarage Road in 2006 – the season in which the Hertfordshire side were last promoted to the Premier League.
Watford had to settle for Preston this time, though. The tie is likely to be played on Wednesday 26th August, given that the Premier League game with Southampton has been moved to Sunday 23rd.
