LONDON: Nick Powell is heading back to Manchester United after Nigel Pearson opted to end his loan deal at Leicester City. Powell's season?long loan has been cut short after the United midfielder's failure to impress left Leicester's coaching staff exasperated.
It is understood that Powell has infuriated Pearson and his backroom team with his attitude in training and general timekeeping since joining on loan in September.
United have the option to recall the pounds 4?million midfielder in January and are poised to bring him back and then loan him out again, with the 20-year-old emerging as a target for Neil Lennon, the Bolton Wanderers manager.
Described as a future England international by Sir Alex Ferguson, the manager who signed him from Crewe Alexandra, Powell's career is in danger of going backwards. He has not even been named in Leicester's 18-man match-day squads for the past two games despite the club's alarming run. A brief cameo as a substitute against Manchester City this month was only his third appearance under Pearson. It is thought unlikely that he will be in contention for the squad that travels to Hull City, despite Jamie Vardy's suspension and concerns over the fitness of David Nugent.
Leicester will face Hull without a win in 13 games and six points behind Steve Bruce's team, while Pearson will be assured of a hostile reception at the KC Stadium. Pearson left Hull in acrimonious circumstances in November 2011 but he will be focusing only on ending Leicester's slump.
He said: "The players have had a number of performances of late where they have not got the results, so it will be a test of their resolve as much as possible. I've been very proud of how they have gone about it. I should have been talking about a win not a defeat after the Spurs game and that's even more galling.
"We will need to try and win our game and see how things develop. I don't like playing the bad luck card. We are close to making things happen. We need to push our performance levels."