Watford midfielder Nathaniel Chalobah will undergo surgery on a knee injury he suffered in training last week, the club have confirmed.
Chalobah completed a £5.5 million move from Chelsea in the summer and impressed in the opening matches of the new Premier League season.
However, Watford performance director Gavin Benjafield confirmed that the 22-year-old, called up to the senior England squad for the most recent World Cup qualifiers, now faced a spell on the sidelines.
"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,'' Benjafield told the club's official website.