Watford boss Marco Silva has offered to give Nathaniel Chalobah all the support that he needs as the midfielder prepares to undergo surgery on his knee.

Chalobah sustained the injury during a training session last week, leaving the Hornets fearful that an operation would be required to rectify the damage.

Silva has confirmed that the England international hopeful, who made an impressive start to life at Vicarage Road following a £6m move from Chelsea in the summer, will have to go under the knife and is likely to be out until the New Year.

"It's difficult news for us, and it's a pity," he told reporters. "It's mostly a pity for him though. "It's football, and now is the moment to support him and give all of the support we can for him and get him in a good condition to help the team as soon as we can. For us, it's a difficult situation and we have to find the solution to be strong in the way we play.

"He's had one appointment but we'll see what will happen. It's a matter of recovery; some people can come back after a week and everything is going well, but it can take longer for others. After the surgery, and when he begins his rehabilitation, we'll see. I think now's not the moment to talk about the future.

"In two months here he achieved important things for him but it's just the beginning. Not only for him, but the teammates helped him too. The national team called him up, and that's important for him, but injuries can happen. We want him to be calm, recover well and after then show what we can do."

Chalobah featured five times in the top flight for Watford prior to picking up the injury, seeing his early-season form rewarded with a first call-up to the England senior squad earlier this month.