(Reuters) - Watford midfielder Nathaniel Chalobah will undergo knee surgery after suffering an injury in training last week, the Premier League club said on Tuesday.
"Whilst we can't put an exact timeline on his recovery, we are expecting to see him re-integrating into the squad well before the New Year," Watford's performance director Gavin Benjafield told the club website.
The 22-year-old, who was called up to England manager Gareth Southgate's last squad for the World Cup qualifiers against Malta and Slovakia, missed Watford's third consecutive away league victory at Swansea City on Saturday.
Chalobah moved to Watford from Chelsea at the start of the season on a five-year contract.