Watford manager Giuseppe Sannino had admitted that he 'felt sorry' for Samba Diakite after the midfielder was sent off on his first start for the Hornets.

Diakite was shown a red card in the second half of yesterday's 1-0 win over Middlesbrough for a two-footed lunge.

"I feel sorry for Diakite because he has been sent off and it was the first game he started in a Watford shirt," Sannino told the Watford Observer.

"I am not sorry for the tackle but for him because it was an important moment of the game but we look forward.

"This sending off allowed my team to show good spirit and [Fernando] Forestieri was able to drop into midfield and do another role so I'm happy about that."

Watford currently occupy 12th place in the Championship table.