Jez George remains hopeful Cambridge United can entice Ghanaian striker Kwesi Appiah back to the club following the end of his current loan deal.

But United's chief executive said whether the striker could return was largely in the hands of his parent club Crystal Palace.

Appiah’s temporary spell runs out January 10, but following his call-up to Ghana’s provisional squad for next month’s Africa Cup of Nations, he flew out to his west African nation for a pre-tournament training camp.

And United's top scorer issued a statement on Twitter thanking the club and the fans for their backing during his second stay at the R Costings Abbey, having enjoyed a successful loan period last season.

However, Appiah, who has netted eight goals this term, also hinted at a possible return to United.

He said: “Would like to say a massive thank you to everyone at Cambridge United for making my loan spell top class. I've enjoyed every minute of it. To the fans, you were a huge factor in me returning to the club this season and I'm so grateful for your support, not just for me but for the team, it's helped endlessly out there on the pitch.”

“The club will always hold a special place in my heart as you all know. The manager and all the other staff were a blessing to work with. The players are top lads and extremely talented, were all a pleasure to play with. Time will tell what the future holds for me 'cause all is still undecided.”

And George said while he was keen to see Appiah come back, the situation was up in the air until the Premier League outfit made a decision on the player's future.

He said: "Kwesi has been great for us and we're really pleased for him that he was called up by Ghana for their provisional squad. We can't thank him enough for what he has done for us and we're looking to see if there's a way forward.

“There's a contractual situation at Palace that him and his agent are in the process of sorting out and depending on how that's resolved depends on what happens after that. We're speaking regularly to Kwesi and his agent.

“But we're just in the hands of Crystal Palace making their intentions known for what's going to happen for Kwesi long-term.

“Nothing can be decided until then, but rest assured, we're doing everything we can to see if there's a way of getting Kwesi back again.”