Nathaniel Chalobah faces a second scan on his left knee to determine whether his World Cup dream is on hold – or has suffered a major setback.

The Watford midfielder, who was called up into England manager Gareth Southgate's last squad for Russia 2018 qualifiers against Malta and Slovakia, missed the Hornets' third away win in a row at Swansea after a freak injury in training.

Chalobah, 22 , posted a photo of himself on social media with his knee in a surgical brace - and in the worst case scenario, Watford fear he could be out until the New Year.

He is already all but ruled out of England's double header against Slovenia and Lithuania next month.

And the timescale for his lay-off remains inconclusive until Chalobah, a bargain £5million buy from Chelsea in the summer, has been referred for a second opinion about the exact nature and extent of his injury.

Nathaniel Chalobah in action for Watford (
Image:
Getty Images Europe)
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He is understood to have experienced immediate pain when kicking a ball, with no challenge or tackle by team-mates involved, during a training session last week.

Watford are still hoping the former England Under-21 international does not require an operation and his recovery will be best-served by a period of rest.

But if he needs surgery, Chalobah could be out for months – which would plunge his dream of forcing his way into England's World Cup plans into jeopardy.