Some One Direction fans were left confused and disappointed after a hashtag relating to Zayn Malik's return to the band trended on Twitter.

The singer left the group in March to spend more time out of the boyband limelight.

The hashtag "#WelcomeBackTo1DZayn' trended on Twitter over the weekend.

However, the trend seems to have been fictitious, leaving many fans disappointed.

Malik has been busy working with producer Naughty Boy this year.

It has been suggested that the former One Direction man may launch a solo career in the future.

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Watch One Direction perform without Malik below: