Daniel Farke is counting Tim Krul out of Norwich City’s festive plans as he bids to return from a thigh injury.

The Dutch international was expected to return ahead of the Boxing Day trip to Watford following a course of injections after Farke suggested there was some fluid around the old injury.

But Michael McGovern will continue to deputise at Watford, and the City head coach admits it is a watching brief on Krul.

“Hard to predict when he will be back. He should have been out 20, 21 days. Meanwhile it is 29 days or so and he is not able to fully train with the team,” said Farke. “So I am not going to give any predictions.

"The injections seem to have worked but I do not expect him back until maybe the FA Cup tie (Coventry on January 9). I don’t think he can play a league game in the next 10 days.

“If he can return earlier and maybe play the FA Cup game that would be good to get back to his rhythm. I would even take it if he is back before then, but I don’t want to raise expectations. We have to judge it from day to day now. Right now he is doing some individual stuff in the gym, a little bit outside but not too much.”

Marco Stiepermann is another absentee for the Hornets’ Boxing Day clash with an on going problem related to an ear infection.

“It is a bit complicated,” said Farke. “A while ago he had an infection in his ear that caused some problems with his balance. Since then he has times when he feels a bit sick or unwell, some headaches, some migraines.

"Then he is not able to eat. We have had this topic for a few weeks. Sometimes better, sometimes not.

“This week he has not been able to train without getting a headache or eat properly so we have decided to take him completely out of team training to let it settle and when he has no further symptoms we bring him back in. It is not dangerous or a major concern but it means he is never there at 100pc.

"Thankfully we have some more options so we can rest him and sort this out. I was grateful and thankful he could keep going when we didn’t have those options.”

Ben Gibson and Xavi Quintilla are back in the mix after hamstring and hip injuries respectively. Przemyslaw Placheta (hamstring) is yet to re-join team training.

“We have few more days and more likely perhaps after Boxing Day. He is outside doing some individual stuff,” said Farke. “Ben is back on the training pitch. Everything seems fine so he should be back for the weekend as an option.

"Xavi is also back in team training for the last two days and perhaps an option for Watford. He has been out a long time.”