Huge Etebo boost for Watford and Super Eagles

The midfielder is now available for selection for club and country after recovering from an injury that kept him on the sidelines for five months

Watford FC have confirmed that Nigerian midfielder Oghenekaro Etebo has returned to full training this week, making the 26-year-old available for a crucial part of the season.

Etebo, who only joined the Hornets on a season-long loan deal from Stoke City in the summer, had been out of action since September when he sustained a quad injury in a league clash against Newcastle United.

A vital member of the Nigerian senior national team, Etebo did not recover in time to make the squad to the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon. In his absence, the Super Eagles were dumped out of the tournament in the Round of 16 despite winning all their three matches in the group phase.

The tenacious midfielder, however, returns just as Nigeria begin preparations for the FIFA World Cup qualifying playoff against eternal rivals Ghana in March. 

Etebo's recovery is also a big boost for Watford boss Roy Hudgson, who is still seeking his first win as manager of the Golden Boys.

The Hornets have endured a horrible last few months, winning just two of the 18 games played in all competitions when Etebo was unavailable. That terrible run has seen the club slip to 19th on the Premier League table, six points below Newcastle in 17th.

Etebo is in line to make Watford's matchday squad, and possibly his first appearance of the year, this weekend when the Golden Boys go away to face Steven Gerrard's Aston Villa.