Hornets boss Quique Sanchez Flores says it’s important “not to make a drama” out of players being dropped from Watford’s starting XI and stresses every decision he makes regarding team selection is objective.

The Spaniard isn’t a head coach who constantly rotates his side for the sake of it. Every choice he and his coaching staff make is thought out carefully.

Flores had made big calls during the campaign. Dropping Sebastian Prödl and starting Miguel Britos against Stoke City paid off. As did his decision to bring Jose Holebas back into the first-team fold.

But leaving Troy Deeney on the bench against Tottenham Hotspur was perhaps the first time Flores, with hindsight, got it wrong.

He stresses Deeney wasn’t fit enough to start at White Hart Lane and says it is vital not to scrutinise every selection he makes.

The Spaniard said: “It’s important not to make a drama when someone’s on the bench because we have 25 players in the squad.

“It’s unfair when some players are playing and some players aren’t playing but that is football. Every weekend it’s seven players on the bench and five players not in the squad.

“I respect the players a lot and the fans respect them a lot too. The fans knew Deeney was on the bench against Tottenham but they supported the team and were singing because they want Watford to win. That is the first challenge.

“I know they love Deeney because all the people at this club love Deeney. He represents us. But we need to be objective.

"Sometimes only the people who are working close to the players every day have all the information.”

Watford travel to Crystal Palace on Saturday looking to improve a run of form that has seen the Hornets win once in their last eight matches.

It is hardly a crisis given Flores’ side are tenth in the table and ten points clear of the relegation zone with 13 games to play. However, Flores admits improvement is needed.

“We respect Crystal Palace a lot,” Flores said. “They are in a bad run like us but they have very good players and a very good coach.

“They have lost (Yannick) Bolasie and (Jason) Puncheon to injury and they are important players for Crystal Palace.

“They want to recover their best feelings and they will be believe they can do that against Watford.

“For us we think a win over Crystal Palace would keep us in the top half and make sure we’re closer to the objective of staying up. I am waiting for that moment to come.”

Flores says Deeney and Valon Behrami are fit enough to start at Selhurst Park if selected but centre-back Miguel Britos is a doubt after suffering an injury during the defeat at Tottenham.

The Uruguayan defender limped off midway through the second half and Flores said today he suffered “a very hard kick” and hasn’t yet fully recovered.

Tommie Hoban continues to recover from his long-term groin injury but isn’t yet ready to return to the first team while defender Joel Ekstrand is out with a hamstring problem.