Watford captain Troy Deeney says the Hornets’ players aren’t naïve enough to think their Premier League match at Bournemouth on Saturday has become easier because Cherries top scorer Callum Wilson has been ruled out with a knee injury.

Wilson starred for Eddie Howe’s side during the opening weeks of the season and had netted five goals in six top-flight games before rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament against Stoke City last weekend.

It is an injury that is set to keep the 23-year-old out of action for up to six months and many pundits have stated it is a severe blow to Bournemouth’s survival chances.

However, Deeney says striker Glenn Murray is a more than capable stand-in for Wilson and stresses the Hornets will not travel to the south coast expecting an easy afternoon’s work.

“It would be very naïve to think that just because Callum isn’t playing it is a guaranteed three points for us,” Deeney said.

“Matt Ritchie probably scored the goal of the season the other day so they have got good attacking players and a good squad.

“They’ve been unfortunate with the three boys (Wilson, Tyrone Mings and Max Gradel) who have suffered injuries but there is more to Bournemouth than that.

“I am sure that if Glenn is playing he will want to score goals. It is what he has done over the last four or five years. So we will be on our guard and will be a bit street-smart with him hopefully.”

While a rivalry has developed over the past year between Watford and Bournemouth’s supporters it doesn’t appear to have transcended to either club’s players.

Deeney this week sent Wilson a get well message on social media website Twitter and felt it was important to pass his sympathies on to his fellow striker.

The 27-year-old, who is in his sixth season at Vicarage Road, said: “He is nice guy. I’ve met him a few times and I’ve texted him previously too.

“I just wished him all the best because he had started the season on fire. He could’ve been in with an England shout for this international break or the next one.

“So I just wished him all the best because that [an injury] can happen to any of us.

“It is just common sense [to send a message]. He has got a young family and is a young guy too, it could hit him in a hard way.

“I thought it would be nice to text him and let him know the football family is thinking about him.”

Bournemouth pipped Watford to the Championship title last season by a single point and won plenty of praise for their attacking philosophy.

The Cherries’ style hasn’t altered this term but Deeney believes Howe’s side have had to be less expansive in the top flight.

“If Saturday’s game was a Championship game I’d say they would try and score six and we would try and score seven,” Deeney said with a smile.

“Things are different now. It is not the same team and it isn’t the same players.

“Their philosophy is still in place but they are not as expansive as they were because they are not stupid.

“They know they would be picked off in this league if they didn’t change and we are not as gung-ho as we were in the Championship. Neither of us are trying to score ninety plus goals anymore.”

He continued: “They have started very well and have stuck to their principles. There are different ways of trying to stay up after you get promoted.

“You can do what QPR did and spend shedloads of money or you can go down the Burnley route of not spending any money and trusting the players that have got you up.

“Over the course of the season things will work out [where you finish]. Bournemouth have a very good structure from the youth ages right the way up.

“That hasn’t changed. They have spent £8 million on Tyrone Mings and [Sylvain] Distin is playing centre-back at the moment though so they have brought in experience and knowledge.”

Watford’s players were undoubtedly disappointed to miss out on the Championship title last term. There was certainly a subdued atmosphere at Vicarage Road on the final day of the previous campaign despite the Hornets achieving promotion.

Deeney was asked if losing out to the Cherries would provide any extra motivation when the two sides meet at Dean Court this weekend.

He replied: “They were the champions and I believe over the course of the season they were always in the top three. So they probably deserved it.

“You don’t get any more points [this season] for being champions though. They got a trophy and we got a trophy, too, although our one wasn’t as nice and shiny as their one.

“We are both in the Premier League now and it is just another game. We don’t feel anything more for this game.

“If we were playing Man United away then perhaps people would be more excited than Bournemouth away, with the greatest respect to Bournemouth. That is how people think. We’ve played there so we can have no excuses. We know what is coming.”