Maximum force demanded by Barnsley boss Flitcroft

The Tykes managed to beat Watford in the corresponding fixture last season - courtesy of Bobby Hassell’s first-half header - but the visitors arrive at Oakwell in good form after seeing off Doncaster Rovers in midweek.

Gianfranco Zola’s outfit currently sit sixth in the Championship, while Barnsley are 23rd and Flitcroft admits he has been surprised the Hornets have not suffered a hangover after losing at Wembley in the play-offs to Crystal Palace.

“I thought the end of last when they didn’t go up they’d lose that rhythm but they’ve got back into that rhythm,” said Flitcroft.

“They’ll keep progressing. They’re a good team and they’re, progressively, getting better. It’s going to be a tough task but it’s certainly one I believe we can get something out of.

“My group of players, man to man, have to be on top of their game.

“We can’t have an 80 per cent performance.

“We certainly know where we need to be come Saturday. It’s a game with a lot of disappointment hanging over it because we’ve had five hours on a coach going through a game on our way back from Bournemouth.

“The only way you can put hurt right is to get back on it and we’ll do that on Saturday.”

Goalkeeper Luke Steele returned to the side in Barnsley’s midweek defeat at Bournemouth to make his 200th appearance for the Reds, with Mike Pollitt returning to parent club Wigan with a groin injury.

“Mike went back to Wigan on Sunday. He felt something in his groin.

“His kicking was 10 to 15 meters short during the last 15 minutes of the game at Forest.

“Polly will be out for four maybe five weeks. He had a scan and it showed a Grade 2 tear of his abductor muscle.”

Flitcroft said Barnsley were now on the look-out for another goalkeeper to keep the pressure on Steele.

“We are going to look,” he said.

“We are not going to panic, try to bring the right one in. I didn’t feel that Ben Alnwick pushed Steele to his limits.

“Some of the guys out there are on phenomenal money,” he said.