Rodrigo Possebon, Manchester United's 20-year-old Brazilian-born midfielder, faces the humiliation of being sent back to England only two months into his year-long loan arrangement with the Portuguese club Braga.

Possebon, who broke into the United first team early last season before being injured in a red-card tackle by Middlesbrough's Emanuel Pogatetz, has played only one match so far for Braga, a Europa League qualifying tie against the Swedish team Elfsborg, and was so poor that the coach, Domingos Paciência, substituted him 34 minutes into a 2-0 defeat.

The teenager, an Italy Under-20 international after qualifying through his father, has been shunned ever since and Paciência has made it clear that he has no future role to play in the team. Braga have subsequently spoken to United about whether it is possible to send him back although the midfielder's agent, Jorge Mendes, is against the move.