Tahith Chong returns to Man Utd and undergoes surgery as Birmingham loan halted

Manchester United youngster Tahith Chong has suffered a devastating blow after being ruled out for upto five months with an injury that cuts short his loan spell at Birmingham City.

The Netherlands U-21 international was impressing during his stint at St. Andrew's, in what was the third loan spell of his United career after periods at Werden Bremen and Club Brugge respectively.

The Curacao-born star had earned rave reviews for performances with the Blues, but injury means he will now return to United's Carrington training base as part of his rehabilitation following surgery.

United confirmed the news via a statement on Wednesday morning that read: "Tahith has undergone surgery to repair a ruptured thigh tendon, the operation went well, and he will return to Manchester United to complete an expected four to five-month rehabilitation."

HAVE YOUR SAY! Does Chong have a future at Man Utd? Comment below.

Tahith Chong had earned plenty of plaudits for his performances at Birmingham City

Chong has been at United since the spring of 2016, when he signed from Dutch outfit Feyenoord - though he is yet to establish himself in the first team.

The 21-year-old made his senior United debut under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer during an FA Cup clash in 2019, but has a number of big-name midfielders in front of him in the Old Trafford pecking order.

His loan spell at Birmingham appeared to be working wonders for his development, only for this injury to cruelly scupper his hard work.

Speaking to the Blues official club website, manager Lee Bowyer was downbeat in his assessment of the situation which has seen his side lose a talented player.

"Unfortunately, he had to have an operation today, 16 weeks he's now out for," Bowyer explained.

"Something so small as well, the way it happened. Standing on the side of the pitch, a five-yard pass into the pitch. No-one near him, no challenges or anything and he has damaged his groin area.

How will Man Utd fare in the upcoming Manchester derby? Vote below

"It's a massive loss, everyone knows what he has been like since he has been here. He has been a massive player for us.

"So it's tough to take but the most important thing now for Tahith is he gets his rehab right, which he will do.

"He will go back to Manchester United now and they will look after him.

"He has been great here, we are definitely going to miss him."

Tahith Chong has found first-team football hard to come by at Manchester United

Chong will be all too aware that this latest set-back only hinders his United prospects at the worst possible time given he is out of contract at the end of this season.

The midfielder provided fans with an update on his situation via his Instagram, writing: "As a player, it hurts to be telling you guys this but, unfortunately, that's life and that's football.

"I have picked up an injury and will be out for a while. I would like to thank everyone at Birmingham City Football Club for everything they have done for me [in the] past couple of months.

"The players, staff and everyone involved has made me feel very welcoming from day one.

"The coach has helped me a lot and showed a lot of confidence in me, something I will not forget.

"A special mention to the fans that, from day one, have supported me in a way that has helped me massively. Focus on recovery now and coming back stronger."