HARRY Arter is due to undergo a scan to discover if the groin problem he sustained at Watford will condemn him to a spell on the sidelines.

Arter went to ground during the first half of his side's 2-2 draw at Vicarage Road on Saturday.

The 26-year-old midfielder quickly returned to the fray and completed 90 minutes but subsequently admitted he was unsure if he would be fit to report for Republic of Ireland duty for World Cup qualifiers against Georgia and Moldova.

Arter told the Daily Echo: "It was a little bit sore. I’ll probably have a scan on it on Monday, so fingers crossed it won’t be anything too serious.

"It was very sore in the second half but I was able to get through the game. I just tried to grit my teeth and get through it. We'll assess it now."

Arter's tremendous form would surely have thrust him to the forefront of Irish boss Martin O'Neill's thoughts as a potential starter against Georgia on Thursday.

And his chances of featuring would have been further boosted by James McCarthy not having played for Everton since the end of August due to a groin injury.

But despite being desperate to add to his three full caps, Arter is taking nothing for granted.

He said: "It’s a tough team to get into. James McCarthy wasn’t there last time around (when Ireland drew their opening qualifier in Serbia) and I didn’t get any minutes then. So, hopefully, this time around, if am fit, I will get a few more minutes.

"It’s an honour to represent your country. I always look forward to it whether it’s a friendly or a qualifier."