Watford missed the opportunity to move into the top three in the Championship as their return to action after the World Cup ended in a frustrating goalless stalemate against Hull City at a freezing Vicarage Road.

The Hornets huffed and puffed without being able to get near to their attacking best, but they should have snatched the win two minutes from the end of normal time when substitute Rey Manaj put a gilt-edged chance wide.

After a first half which had been flat, dull and uninspiring with very little in the way of goalmouth action – Joao Pedro having the Hornets’ sole opportunity of any real note – the spectacle did improve after the break.

Pedro, who was again Watford’s most influential performer, forced Matt Ingram into another smart save, before Yaser Asprilla was also denied by the Hull keeper.

The Tigers also improved offensively after the break though, with former Hornets loanee Ozan Tufan having their best opportunity and Cyrus Christie proving a growing threat after before pushed forward on the right.

But it was Manaj who spurned the game’s best opening at the end when he didn’t get a strong enough contact on Hassane Kamara’s low delivery to divert it into the back of the net.

While the outcome was disappointing, of greater long-term concern could be a knee injury to Hamza Choudhury. He had to be replaced in the opening stages, leaving his side even more short of options in a department in which their resources were already stretched.

Slaven Bilic made five changes from the team that last lined up a month ago for the goalless draw at Bristol City, but the main pre-match talking point concerned the absence of Ismaila Sarr.

The Hornets boss said on Friday the Senegal forward had been given a few days off to spend with his family after the World Cup and hoped he would be back for the game, but Sarr’s name was nowhere to be seen on the teamsheet.

The Watford changes saw Jeremy Ngakia, Craig Cathcart, Tom Dele-Bashiru, Asprilla and Pedro come in for the injured Dan Gosling, Edo Kayembe and Samuel Kalu, while Mario Gaspar and William Troost-Ekong dropped to a bench which included the fit-again Manaj.

Hull were beaten 2-1 at home by Reading in their last game before the international break and head coach Liam Rosenior made three changes.

Matt Ingram replaced Nathan Baxter in goal, while Sean McLoughlin and Tyler Smith came in for Tobias Figueiredo and Greg Docherty, who dropped to the bench.

Both sides sought to get on the front foot on the opening whistle, but the start of the game was disrupted by a lengthy stoppage with Choudhury and Dimitrios Pelkas both needing treatment on knee injuries after a tackle. Pelkas was unable to continue and was replaced by Docherty in the tenth minute, but the signs were also ominous for Choudhury who was unable to run properly.

The writing was on the wall and Choudhury was soon forced to admit defeat. Joseph Hungbo took his place, meaning Yaser Asprilla moved infield into a very young Hornets central midfield unit.

Ryan Woods picked up the game’s first yellow card in the 19th minute for bringing down Pedro, who had dropped into a deeper midfield role alongside Dele-Bashiru, with Asprilla playing in the more advanced central position.

The first quarter of the game passed without a meaningful attempt on goal, doing little to warm a somewhat subdued Vicarage Road in the freezing conditions.

Hull did have an opportunity in the 29th minute when Christie’s reverse pass slipped in Smith behind Cathcart in the 18-yard box, but Christian Kabasele got across to block.

Watford responded by going closer to making the breakthrough, Keinan Davis rolling the ball with his underfoot to release Pedro, whose left-footed shot was pushed away by Ingram, with Jacob Greaves easing Asprilla over to prevent potentially from getting to a rebound.

Greaves doubled the Tigers’ booking count in the 36th minute after taking out Hungbo on the right touchline, before Daniel Bachmann had to make his first save of the contest, a routine one to field a low Regan Slater drive.

Christie became the third Hull player to be booked after 43 minutes for pulling back Ken Sema, the resulting free-kick from the left ending with a shot from Hungbo which he sliced almost out of play at the corner flag as a turgid first half came to a close.

The visitors had the first opportunity of the second period as a mistake by Cathcart allowed Docherty to slide in Smith on the right side of the area, but his attempted finish was saved by the outstretched legs of Bachmann.

Hull continued to collect cards with Alfie Jones booked for chopping down Hassane Kamara in the fifth minute after the restart. That free-kick was cleared for a corner and the Hornets almost made the breakthrough from Sema’s delivery from the left as Pedro spun in the area to hit a low shot which was very well saved by Ingram.

Former Watford loanee Tufan entered the fray in the 53rd minute, replacing fellow substitute Docherty, but the home side were upping the ante and went close again when Pedro released Sema on the left and his low delivery was met by Asprilla, whose first-time shot was palmed up in the air by Ingram, who reacted first to prevent the young Colombian from getting to the rebound.

Next Davis hit a shot from the edge of the area which was deflected wide of Ingram’s right-hand post, with the keeper completely wrong-footed, before Pedro hit another effort across and wide of the target after a neat one-two with Hungbo.

The Brazilian then impressed defensively with a fine tackle on Tufan, only for Asprilla to be dispossessed which led to the Tigers putting together a move which ended with Tufan lashing a clear opening over the top after Christie had cut the ball back into the area.

With Christie pushing increasingly further forward, Hull enjoyed their best attacking spell of the match, Slater the next to threaten with a shot which was blocked.

The game then witnessed the rarity of both teams subbing as a substitute as Manaj made his comeback as a 71st-minute replacement for Hungbo, before Hull made a double change with Lewie Coyle and Figueiredo coming on for Smith and Woods.

Another attacking raid by Christie down the right ended with a powerful angled shot which Bachmann had to push up and out as the Tigers looked to finish the stronger of the two sides.

But it was Watford who should have won it with two minutes of normal time remaining when, as some in yellow appealed for a handball on the edge of the area, Kamara whipped in a low centre from the left and Manaj somehow diverted the ball wide of the far post when it looked easier to score.

That was to the former Barcelona man’s last involvement as he became the third substitute to be replaced as Vakoun Bayo came on in injury time as a frustrating afternoon drew to a goalless conclusion.

Watford: Bachmann; Ngakia, Kabasele, Cathcart, Kamara; Choudhury (Hungbo 15, (Manaj 71)), ((Bayo 90))), Dele-Bashiru; Asprilla, Pedro, Sema; Davis. Subs not used: Hamer, Gaspar, Troost-Ekong, Sierralta.

Hull City: Ingram; Christie, Smith, McLoughlin, Greaves; Woods (Figueiredo 73), Seri; Slater, Pelkas (Docherty 10, Tufan 53)), Longman; Smith (Coyle 73). Subs not used: Baxter, Elder, Sinik.

Bookings: Woods for a foul on Pedro (19); Greaves for a foul on Hungbo (36); Christie for a foul on Sema (43); Jones for a foul on Kamara (50).

Referee: Dean Whitestone.