Birmingham boss Lee Bowyer has had to begrudgingly say goodbye to on-loan star Tahith Chong today, with the player returning to parent club Manchester United - but he has told the Birmingham Mail that he wants the two teams to 'come to an agreement' over the player again when he recovers.

Chong has not only featured for Man United before but has also spent time out on loan across Europe with the likes of Werder Bremen and Club Brugge. It was therefore met with excitement when Birmingham announced they were the latest team to bring the youngster in on a short-term basis.

Since that move over summer, the 21-year-old has been a mainstay in the side and played in 13 games for the team, registering two assists. His pace, dribbling and attacking vision were important to the Blues, as they begun to start getting wins on the board and climbing up the league table.

 

 

It is a blow then for the side to hear that Chong has now returned to his parent club, with the loan deal being cut short due to injury. He only featured for the Blues in their win over Swansea at the weekend but after suffering damage to his groin, he has now returned to Manchester to undergo some treatment for it and to begin the recovery process.

It means that the Blues will now be without the player for at least the rest of the year - but boss Lee Bowyer is hoping that a deal can be struck to let the player return to the team when he is back to full fitness.

Speaking to the Birmingham Mail, he said: "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. He has been great here, we are definitely going to miss him.

“I hope that both clubs can work something out, as you know the budget has always been one-in-one-out. I hope the two clubs can come to an agreement so we can still use him when he comes back towards the end of the season."

Chong then may not have played his final game yet in the colours of Birmingham City - but with the player now out until at least the new year, he has certainly played his last football of any kind for now.

The Verdict

It is a huge blow for both Birmingham and Tahith Chong that the player is injured. He was finally proving what he was capable of on a regular basis in England and the Blues were benefitting from his showings.

However, if he can get back to fitness, then there is no reason why he cannot return to Birmingham. He was getting regular action and Lee Bowyer was an admirer, so the two could certainly reunite in the future.