Watford captain Troy Deeney says he played through the pain barrier for the first two games of the season after undergoing knee surgery on Thursday.
Deeney, who is expected to be out for several weeks, said: “After three-to-four weeks of trying to be the hero and play with discomfort and pain, we decided to sort the issues out once and for all.
“Now it’s time to rest up and mentally prepare myself to get back to help the squad.”
Watford are looking to bounce back against West Ham on Saturday after losing their first two games of the new Premier League campaign against Brighton and Everton.
They could also be without Roberto Pereyra and Abdoulaye Doucoure, who are struggling with thigh and ankle problems respectively.
New signings Danny Welbeck and Ismaila Sarr, however, are progressing well and they could feature at the weekend.
