Javi Gracia's return to Watford would have come five months ago - had he not broken seven ribs falling off a ladder.

The Spaniard will begin his second stint in charge of the Hornets at the weekend, after he was announced as Paulo Pezzolano's successor .

Pezzolano's ten-match reign at Vicarage Road was brought to an end last week, after winning just three out of nine Championship games.

The brutal sacking came just five months after the Uruguayan's appointment , when he replaced former Manchester United midfielder Tom Cleverley in May.

But it turns out Pezzolano wasn't the only candidate at the time, with Gracia also being approached about a return, six years after being dismissed by the club in 2019.

That was before a cruel twist of fate took him out of the running, when he suf

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