Dennis Doubtful for Mexico, Ecuador Friendly

Watford have provided an injury update on Emmanuel Dennis that will worry Nigeria’s coach for the upcoming internationals in May and June, Salisu Yusuf.

Dennis has been named on the Super Eagles expanded roster for the friendlies against Mexico and Ecuador in May and June respectively, and was also in contention to suit up for the national team in their 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Sierra Leone in Abuja on June 9 and São Tomé & Príncipe in Marrakech, Morocco on June 13.

The 24-year-old faces a struggle to be play in the four matches, with Hornets boss Roy Hodgson revealing at yesterday’s pre-match press conference that the club’s top scorer is still sidelined by a knee injury.

The ailment kept Dennis out of Watford’s goalless draw with Everton midweek and it is all but confirmed that he will not play a part in the final home game of the season against Leicester City this Sunday.

In quotes relayed by Watford Observer, Hodgson said: “Tom Cleverley has severely bruised ribs and then Sarr and Dennis with their knee injuries won’t be risked. Those names, you can forget them”.

Nine hundred and thirty-one days after Dennis made his senior debut for Nigeria, he was handed his starting debut by coach Augustine Eguavoen in the 2022 World Cup playoff against Ghana in Abuja back in March.