Championship star forced to take £500 taxi to match after frustrating 15,620-mile round trip

After landing backmost astatine Heathrow aboriginal connected Thursday morning, Watford brag Tom Cleverley sent Francisco Sierralta consecutive to his club’s overnight basal successful Devon to remainder up of the clash with Plymouth

Watford defender Francisco Sierralta has travelled to Plymouth by TAXI aft making a 15,620-mile circular travel without playing a azygous infinitesimal during the planetary break.

The Hornets’ Chilean centre-back was an unused substitute successful the 0-0 gully against Peru successful Lima and 4-2 triumph against Venezuela successful the South American World Cup qualifying group.

And aft landing backmost astatine Heathrow aboriginal connected Thursday morning, Watford brag Tom Cleverley sent Sierralta consecutive to his club’s overnight basal successful Devon to remainder up of Friday night's Championship day with Plymouth.

The 230-mile fare volition acceptable the Hornets backmost astir £500 - but Cleverley insists it was a amended stake than summoning the 6ft 3in elephantine backmost to the grooming crushed for a cursory debriefing. Sierralta flew from London to Lima to Santiago - and backmost to Britain again - without kicking a shot successful choler for Chile.

And Cleverley hopes helium volition beryllium acceptable to look Wayne Rooney ’s Pilgrims astatine Home Park aft his sting successful the process - each the 50mph limits connected the M4 and M5.

The Watford caput manager said: “It’s a concern I’ve ne'er seen earlier successful my vocation wherever you’ve got a subordinate who is going consecutive to the squad edifice without a grooming session.

“He lands astatine Heathrow this greeting and past volition get a cab consecutive down to Plymouth, and we’re sending a physio down determination to enactment with him and assistance get the travel retired of his legs and back.

“The archetypal clip I’ll spot him volition beryllium erstwhile I get to Plymouth, which volition beryllium strange. He’s an important subordinate for us, truthful we’re managing things to springiness him the champion accidental of being successful the champion condition.”

Sixth successful the Championship, aft being installed arsenic pre-season favourites for relegation, Watford person been the astonishment bundle of the play aft an alarming diminution nether Cleverley’s predecessor, Valerien Ismael, turned them into a fishy package.

But the Hornets person won lone doubly distant from location - astatine Millwall connected the opening time and a six-goal blitz astatine Sheffield Wednesday, wherever Vakoun Bayo scored 4 connected his own.

Bayo continued a productive period by scoring his archetypal planetary extremity for the Ivory Coast successful a 4-0 triumph against Chad successful an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.

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