Watford Deliver Heartbreaking Update: Giorgi Chakvetadze Ruled Out for the Season
Watford, England – 28 November 2025 – Vicarage Road was plunged into despair this morning as Watford Football Club confirmed that their talismanic Georgian midfielder Giorgi Chakvetadze has suffered a devastating recurrence of the stress fracture in his left foot. The 26-year-old, who had fought for seven gruelling months to return to action, is now facing surgery and will miss the entirety of the 2025-26 Championship campaign.
The news landed like a thunderbolt just 48 hours after Chakvetadze’s emotional comeback. Substituted on in the 78th minute of Tuesday’s 1-1 draw away to Preston North End, the Georgian was greeted with a roaring ovation from the travelling Hornets fans. He responded with a trademark slaloming run and a perfectly weighted through-ball that almost carved open the home defence. For those 12 minutes, everything felt right again. By Wednesday morning, that joy had turned to anguish.
Club medical chief Dr Lianne Jones delivered the grim details in an official statement:
“Post-match imaging revealed significant inflammation around the original fracture site and evidence of a recurrent micro-fracture. Despite an extremely cautious and progressive rehabilitation programme – including extensive non-impact work, aquatic therapy and anti-gravity treadmill sessions – the bone has not responded as we hoped. Specialist opinion is unanimous: surgical intervention is now required to stabilise the area and give Giorgi the best possible chance of a full, long-term recovery. Surgery is scheduled for early next week in London, after which he faces a minimum of six weeks non-weight-bearing, followed by several months of progressive loading. Realistically, we are looking at a return to training no earlier than late spring 2026.”
Manager Javi Gracia could barely disguise his emotion at this morning’s press conference.
“Giorgi is not just a player for us – he is the soul of this team,” the Spaniard said, his voice wavering. “He sees things others don’t, he makes the difficult look simple. To have him back for those few minutes on Tuesday… it felt like Christmas had come early. And now this. Football can be incredibly cruel. But we will protect him. His health comes first, always.”
Since arriving on an initial loan from KAA Gent in January 2023 before making the move permanent that summer for a modest £2.5 million, Chakvetadze has established himself as one of the Championship’s most gifted creative forces. In 78 appearances for the Hornets he has registered three goals and nine assists, but raw numbers only tell half the story. His 2.1 key passes per 90 minutes lead the squad by some distance, while his 4.7 progressive carries per game place him among the elite ball-carriers in the division. Comparisons to a young Eden Hazard have followed him since his Gent days, and at Watford he has added steel and leadership to the silk.
The impact of his previous absence was stark. In the 15 league games he missed at the tail end of last season, Watford won just five, averaging a meagre 1.2 goals per game. When Chakvetadze played, that figure rose to 1.8. The dip contributed to a late collapse that saw playoff hopes evaporate. This time around, with the Hornets sitting 12th on 24 points from 18 matches and riding a three-game unbeaten run, the timing could hardly be worse.
Captain Mattie Pollock spoke for the dressing room when he said: “He’s irreplaceable in terms of what he gives us on the pitch, but more than that, he’s a fighter. The way he has attacked this rehab has inspired everyone. We’ll rally for him – we have to.”
Fan reaction has been one of collective heartbreak mixed with fierce determination. Within hours of the announcement, #GetWellGiorgi was trending across Hertfordshire and Georgia alike. A supporter-led “Chakvetadze Recovery Fund” petition surpassed 7,000 signatures by Friday afternoon, with donations earmarked for both his rehabilitation costs and the youth football projects he quietly funds back in Tkibuli, his hometown. One viral post from @WatfordTillIDie summed up the mood: “Seven months of pain, 12 minutes of magic, and now this. Football, why do you hate us?”
The Georgian Football Federation issued its own message of solidarity, praising the 28-cap international who played a pivotal role in their historic qualification for Euro 2024. “Giorgi carries the hopes of a nation every time he pulls on the shirt,” it read. “We stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Watford during this difficult moment.”
Born in 1999 in the small mining town of Tkibuli, Chakvetadze’s rise has been the stuff of fairytales. A product of Dinamo Tbilisi’s academy, he burst onto the European stage with Gent, recording 12 goals and 15 assists in 92 appearances and earning admiring glances from across Europe. His decision to join Watford – then managed by Slaven Bilić – raised eyebrows, but the move has proved inspired for club and player alike. Off the pitch he has become a quiet ambassador for mental health, speaking openly about the “dark days” of his injury lay-off when isolation and doubt threatened to overwhelm him.
CEO Scott Duxbury moved swiftly to quash any January transfer speculation. “Giorgi is not for sale, full stop,” he told BBC Three Counties Radio. “This is his home. We believed in him when others hesitated, and he has repaid that faith tenfold. We will give him every resource he needs to come back stronger.”
Gracia now faces the task of reshaping his midfield. Young Colombian Yáser Asprilla, summer signing Tom Dele-Bashiru and the ever-reliable Imran Louza will be expected to shoulder greater creative responsibility. The next test comes on Monday evening against Birmingham City at St Andrew’s – a fixture already being billed as an emotional tribute to the absent number 10. Supporters are planning a giant banner reading “Chakvetadze’s Fire Burns Eternal” and a 10th-minute applause.
The medical roadmap ahead is clear but lengthy: surgery next week, six weeks of immobilisation, gradual weight-bearing from mid-January, a return to grass-based work in March, and – all being well – full training by May or June. The club’s performance staff are cautiously optimistic that the 26-year-old’s youth and remarkable mental resilience will see him return in time for pre-season 2026 fully fit and ready to lead Watford’s next chapter.
For now, though, the Hornets must fly without their brightest star. As one veteran supporter outside the club shop said this afternoon, clutching a scarf aloft: “We’ve been through relegations, administrations, everything. We’ll get through this too – and we’ll do it for Giorgi.”
The flame may flicker, but in the hearts of everyone connected with Watford, Chakvetadze’s fire still burns fiercely