Carabao Cup: Watford’s Etebo ruled out of Stoke City clash

Peter Etebo will not be available for Watford when they square up against Stoke City in Tuesday’s League Cup encounter, the Premier League side has announced.

The Nigerian midfielder joined the Hornets on loan from the Potters at the start of the season and as such, he is not eligible to face his parent club.

Apart from Etebo, Kiko Femenia and Joao Pedro are also out of action against the English second-tier side due to injury worries.

“Kiko Femenia will miss tomorrow night's Carabao Cup clash with Stoke City after being substituted early in the second half at Carrow Road on Saturday,” the club noted on their website.

“However, the defender did not suffer a recurrence of the injury that has kept him out since April and should return to training later this week.

“Peter Etebo is ineligible to play any part against Stoke under the terms of his loan agreement with the Potters.

“Striker Joao Pedro will continue to build up his fitness with the squad this week and is unlikely to be risked tomorrow night.

“There are no other injury concerns among the first-team squad right now.”

Since teaming up with the Vicarage Road giants, the Super Eagle has been a key figure in manager Xisco’s squad.

He has featured in all Watford’s English elite division games so far in the 2021-22 campaign – making four appearances in the starting XI.

In Saturday’s 3-1 away victory over Norwich City, Etebo was handed a starter’s role, albeit he was substituted for Tom Cleverley with nine minutes left to play.

The 25-year-old is expected to return to the club’s fold when they welcome Newcastle United to Hertfordshire on Saturday.

As it stands, Xisco’s men occupy 11th spot in the Premier League log having accrued six points from all matches played so far.

Etebo is making his third loan move since he joined Stoke in 2018. He has also featured for Getafe and Galatasaray.

He started his career at Warri Wolves where he spent three years before moving to Portuguese side Feirense.

At Feirense, he helped the side gain promotion to the Primeira Liga and established themselves as a top-flight club, and then he had a six-month loan spell at Spanish side Las Palmas in the 2017-18 season before he joined Stoke in June 2018 for a fee of £6.35 million.