Manchester United have confirmed James Wilson will undergo surgery after sustaining a serious knee injury on loan at Derby.
Wilson looked set for a big future at United after breaking onto the scene at the end of the 2013/14 campaign but his development has stagnated since then.
The England Under-21 international was sent on loan to Derby at the start of the season but has now returned to United after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament knee injury in training at the start of the week.
“It’s incredibly disappointing news that James has suffered an injury like this,” Derby manager Steve McClaren told United’s official website.
“Only last week, I was saying how much I was looking forward to working with him because he is an exciting young talent. I know that he will bounce back from this disappointment, especially as well as being a very good player, he is also a strong and determined character.”
The 20-year-old was thought of as one of United's most exciting academy prospects having excelled at every age group right through to the seniors, where he scored two goals on debut under Ryan Giggs. However, he failed to convince Louis van Gaal before being leapfrogged in the pecking order by Marcus Rashford, who hasn't looked back since.
Wilson scored five goals in 27 appearances in the Championship for Brighton last season and had failed to score in 223 minutes of action for Derby this season.
For more stats on James Wilson, click here to visit his WhoScored player page
