Watford winger Gerard Deulofeu is edging closer to a playing return.

Deulofeu said he is no longer on crutches, or in any pain, after undergoing knee surgery earlier this year.

In an interview for the club website, he said: “My first six weeks after the surgery weren't the best because every day I had to go with the crutches, but finally I've left the crutches and now I'm much better and can do much more exercise.

“I'm feeling more like a person, and the most important thing is I don't feel pain in the knee, because normally you can feel some pain around the knee but at the moment the recovery is perfect so we're going to continue.

“Every day I'm working, doing a lot of kilometres. At the moment we are protecting a little bit the meniscus until we can run. Soon we are going to run but at the moment we are doing this exercise.

“Mentally my character is really positive now. I'm a different person than in other years and I've changed my mind and I'm always positive. We can't live in our past, we have to look at our present and work for the future."