Gothenburg, Aug 9 (IANS) Manchester United head coach Michael Carrick has played down concerns surrounding Mason Mount after the midfielder was forced to leave the field early during the club’s 1-1 pre-season draw against Paris Saint-Germain on Sunday.
Mount’s latest setback came less than 20 minutes into the contest, with the England player appearing to pick up a knock before being replaced by Tyler Fletcher.
The 27-year-old has endured a difficult spell since joining United from Chelsea in 2023, with a succession of fitness problems limiting his involvement and preventing him from establishing a consistent run in the side.
However, Carrick suggested there was no immediate reason for alarm, explaining that the decision to withdraw Mount was primarily precautionary.
“He got kicked. We just wanted to be careful and look after him. We’ve been lucky with injuries so far, so we wanted to be careful,” Carrick told MUTV after the match.
Mount was subsequently seen walking without any obvious difficulty as he made his way towards the United team coach, providing further encouragement that the problem may not be serious.
Mount has made only 25 Premier League starts out of a possible 114 since arriving at Old Trafford, underlining the extent to which injuries have disrupted his time at the club.
Carrick was encouraged by United’s overall showing against PSG, despite the French side taking the lead through Ibrahim Mbaye.
Bryan Mbeumo eventually restored parity for United, who created opportunities to take all three points against the reigning European champions.
“I enjoyed it. Good challenge. Slightly different with the way they play. We should’ve scored more goals. It’s good for the boys sometimes to have to problem solve and find their own way, and I thought we did that. That prepares them for the season as well,” Carrick said.
United have two more pre-season fixtures remaining before beginning their Premier League campaign against newly-promoted Hull City on August 22.
–IANS
sds/bc
