Wales Under-21s Uefa Championship play-off hopes have been dealt a blow by an injury to highly rated Middlesbrough centre-back Rhys Williams.

The 20-year-old needs surgery to repair a damaged lateral knee ligament and will be out for four months.

The Australian-born player, who has forced himself into the senior Wales and Boro squads this season, was injured in the U21's 3-0 Romania win.

The first leg of Wales' U21 play-off against England is in Cardiff (10 Oct).

Young Wales are bidding to become the first Welsh international soccer team to qualify for a major finals since the 1958 World Cup in Sweden.