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January loan signing Didier Ndong was once again absent from Watford's matchday squad for their game at Arsenal.

Ndong joined on loan from Sunderland on transfer deadline day but is yet to feature for the Hornets.

He was on the bench for the games with West Ham United and Stoke City, before missing the Everton clash through personal reasons.

But with players such as Will Hughes returning from injury, Ndong has remained out of the matchday 18 for the past two games against West Brom and at Arsenal.

Javi Gracia has said there are no special reasons for his absence, it's just because he picks the squad he thinks is best suited and Ndong has not been in that recently.

"We choose other options because we have more players available and I choose what I think is best," Gracia explained when the Mercury asked if there was an injury problem.

The deal that brought Ndong to Vicarage Road from the North East included a clause, according to Sunderland, that meant if he played a certain number of games his move would be made permanent.

Black Cats boss Chris Coleman was adamant that any temporary move for the Gabonese international had to have a view to a permanent move in it. He is not in Coleman's plans at the Stadium of Light.

It is a similar deal to the one that saw Tom Cleverley move on loan from Everton midway through last season, before his ninth appearance for the club triggered a permanent switch. If Ndong's move involves the same numbers, that will never be met as Watford have just eight games remaining.

For Ndong, it could well leave him in an awkward situation come the end of the season. Sunderland signed him for £13.8m in 2016 and handed him a contract until 2021, but there is no future for him there, especially if they are relegated to League One. They'll be reluctant to sell him for a small fee given the amount they spent on him, although his wages could mean they have to.

Watford might decide to buy him permanently and view the last month and a half as nothing other than a slow start to life in Hertfordshire and an adjustment period, but a move back to the Premier League would appear unlikely if they don't. This is not how the 23-year-old envisaged his 'second chance' in the league going.

"My aim for the six months until the end of the season is to be the best I can, to give everything and to show the club I am capable and to give them confidence to sign me in the summer," Ndong told Watford's official website shortly after signing.

"It's a good chance to come back to the Premier League, it's a chance for me to express myself and show everyone what I can do.

"The Premier League is a big league, you find the best players and managers in the world there. It's got a lot of exposure as well.

"I'm hoping that this loan goes well and that they take the option for me to sign."