Manchester United have ended Adnan Januzaj's season-long loan deal with Borussia Dortmund early, the Premier League side announced on Thursday.

The 20-year-old Belgium international returns to Old Trafford having barely played in the Bundesliga with both clubs agreeing it was in the player's best interests to end the arrangement.

A United statement read: "Borussia Dortmund has agreed to cancel the loan agreement for Adnan Januzaj. Adnan will rejoin the first-team squad immediately.

"He has returned to Manchester in order to clarify the details."

Januzaj is understood to have stayed in Manchester over Christmas and was in the directors' box for United's home game against Chelsea on December 28.

United have until 1700GMT on Friday to register him for Saturday's FA Cup third-round tie against Sheffield United, although Louis van Gaal may decide to ease the forward back into the first team set-up after a couple of games for the under-21 side instead.

Januzaj has not played since Dortmund's 1-0 defeat to PAOK Salonika on December 10. He started only three matches - all in the Europa league - his Bundesliga appearances all coming from off the bench.

United will not be able to loan the Belgian out again as he has already played for the Red Devils this year and FIFA rules state players are not allowed to play for more than two clubs per season.

Van Gaal had warned Januzaj last year he was taking a risk by joining Dortmund, rather than a lower-profile club where he would have been guaranteed to play more.

"In a club like Borussia Dortmund, all the players there are also of a certain level and I said in advance 'that's a big risk for you because you have to compete with other players of a higher level' and that is not so easy," the United manager said in November.