Fulham loan defender Timothy Fosu-Mensah will return to parent club Manchester United from Fulham after having surgery on a knee ligament injury.

Netherlands international Fosu-Mensah joined Fulham in August after a spell at Crystal Palace last season, playing regularly before Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s emergence at right-back.

A versatile player who can play across the back four and in central midfield, Fosu-Mensah was seen as a shrewd acquisition by Fulham following their promotion.

But his performances at Craven Cottage have made him a regular target for criticism and he has played just 12 times in the Premier League, the latest against Everton on Saturday seeing him sustain a knee injury.

Fosu-Mensah requires surgery and his subsequent rehabilitation will be at United, indicating the defender’s time at Fulham – whose relegation has been confirmed – is over.

The 21-year-old rose through the ranks as a youth player at Old Trafford before graduating to the senior squad in 2016.

Since then he has found first-team opportunities limited, with just 21 appearances to his name for the Red Devils across all competitions.

Should his recovery from surgery be successful, however, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer might consider using the versatile starlet regularly next season, with the team’s current defensive woes well documented.