Watford have signed former Aston Villa and West Ham midfielder Carlos Sanchez on a deal for the rest of the season.

The former Colombia international, 35, has been a free agent since leaving the Premier League Hammers in June.

Sanchez made 18 appearances in two years at the club and played 56 times for Villa from 2014-17, and has also played in Spain, Italy and France.

He won the last of his 88 Colombia caps in their penalty shootout defeat by England at the 2018 World Cup.

The Hornets are light in central midfield after a January transfer window in which Etienne Capoue was sold to Villarreal, loanee James Garner departed for Nottingham Forest and Domingos Quina was loaned to Granada.

Nathaniel Chalobah is serving a two-game suspension and January recruit Dan Gosling missed Wednesday's win against Wycombe with a hamstring injury - leading to winger Philip Zinckernagel playing in the middle.

Meanwhile Tom Cleverley limped out of the Wycombe game with a knee issue, leaving Will Hughes as the club's only fully-fit senior midfielder.

Xisco Munoz's side are third in the Championship - level on points with second-placed Brentford - as they chase an instant return to the top flight.