Watford head coach Vladimir Ivic has described this weekend's derby clash with Luton Town as "a game for the fans" and said wants to make the club's supporters proud by claiming bragging rights over the Hatters in the first meeting between the two clubs in 14 years.

Ivic said he knows all about derby games and what makes them special occasions and said he and his players would be working hard to please the club's supporters, who will have to watch from home, with games currently still being played behind closed doors.

"I know about the tradition and what kind of a game is this game," said Ivic. "We have to work all of us now, me, the players and everybody here, this is a game for the fans. We need to work hard how we've worked in the other games before and the same for the other games after this game.

"I understand that it's different for the fans, it's different for their feeling if we win the game, they will be proud, they will be happy and we will give our best for sure to make our fans happy and proud if we win.

"The players know what kind of a game is the next one and it's not something usual. We need to prepare ourself and try to be focused and I'm sure that the players will be ready for the game. I've had this kind of game in the past and I know how it's important to win, to give everything. We'll do our best, we'll fight and hopefully we'll win."

In order to pick up the points on Saturday, Ivic wants to see his side start more aggressively than they have in the last three matches, in which early changes have led to improved second-half performances.

The head coach said that he has spoken to his players this week about their need for focus from the first minute.

"We are not starting the last three games in the way that we have prepared to play game," he said. "For sure, we improved and it's encouraging for us, but we need to speak about this and we have in these last days. We have two days more to prepare for this game and to be focused from the first second, to play how we want. We've worked on this, to be ready from the first second of the game and we need to do it next time."

The improvement came too late on Tuesday evening as Newport County knocked the Hornets out of the Carabao Cup at Rodney Parade.

Ivic said it was a chance to see some of his younger players and assess their readiness for more important matches, but with Troy Deeney and Ismaila Sarr on the verge of returning, those younger players could have a long time to wait just yet.

"To be honest, I'm ashamed after this result," said Ivic about the defeat at Newport. "It's not something that is usual, that we expect. These two games, this one and the Oxford one, we use to see some of the players back after a long period out and some of the young guys who need to show us their ability and their quality.

we want to see them and we want to understand about their condition, and to learn about other things that are important for me to know in this moment before I start to use them in our games in the Championship.

"Two players who joined us and worked with us in the last practise are Ismaila Sarr and Troy Deeney. We'll see tomorrow, we have the last practise to decide about them, if they will be available to play or not. Normally we need to wait until the last day to take a decision about the players who come and can play.

"I want to speak with them tomorrow and see if they're available."