Walter Mazzarri: Beset by injury problems

The Hornets lost for the seventh time in 10 matches when defeated 2-0 by Stoke at the bet365 Stadium on Tuesday night and fears of another slump in the second half of the season, such as the one they suffered last year, has intensified the pressure on Italian head coach Mazzarri. The former Inter Milan and Napoli boss insists their run of form is unavoidable given their plethora of injuries and expects his current squad is good enough to prevent them from being dragged into the relegation mire.