Watford head coach Alessio Dionisi has firmly shifted the focus to Saturday's Championship fixture at Wrexham, dismissing questions about the club's transfer activity. The Italian, who replaced Ed Still in June, is dealing with a relatively small squad and an injury to full-back Marc Bola ahead of the trip to North Wales.
Dionisi's stance comes as Watford hold a solid early position in the league. They currently sit seventh in the Championship with four points from two games, having scored three goals and conceded two. That leaves them just two points behind early leaders Millwall.
Alessio Dionisi was direct when asked about potential new signings. "I don't want to talk about the transfer market," the former Sassuolo boss said. "I respect the question but for me it's important to speak about my players and my team - for us it's better to speak about Wrexham." This clear message puts the onus on the club's recruitment team to handle any incoming business while the coaching staff prepare the existing group.
The immediate priority is the 15:00 BST kick-off on Saturday against Wrexham. Watford will then turn their attention to a Carabao Cup tie against Peterborough just three days later. Fans can track this busy period on the club's fixtures page.
Watford's preparations have been impacted by the confirmed absence of defender Marc Bola. Dionisi expressed his disappointment at losing the experienced full-back. "I am sorry for Marc because he is an important player, he is a leader," Dionisi stated. The likely replacement is Jordan Zemura, whom the coach described as "a good player." This enforced change highlights the thin nature of the squad, which the manager has acknowledged needs strengthening.
The team will be looking to build on their opening day 2-1 victory over Southampton. Last season's 16th-place finish is a memory they are eager to improve upon. The current standings show a promising start, but consistency will be key.
Watford's early form reads one win and one draw from their two Championship outings. Their next league assignment after Wrexham is an away trip to face Swansea, who are ninth, on September 1st. Maintaining their positive goal difference of +1 will be important as they look to close the gap at the top.
The injury to Bola shows the need for squad depth. Supporters can monitor the fitness of the squad via the club's injuries hub. Dionisi's public focus on the pitch, not the market, is a pragmatic approach as the season gets into full swing. His task is to extract maximum performance from the players currently available at Vicarage Road, starting with a challenging away day in Wales.
