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Michael Carrick dismissed concerns over a potential injury to Mason Mount during Manchester United's preseason stalemate against Paris Saint-Germain.
Mount was on the pitch for just 20 minutes of the Gothenburg, Sweden fixture before being withdrawn with what looked like a foot issue. Following a brief consultation with the medical team, he headed back to the dressing room, though he was later spotted walking without any apparent difficulty while boarding the team bus outside the stadium.
Carrick told the press the substitution was purely precautionary and nothing to worry about.
"He took a knock," the manager explained. "We just wanted to be cautious and protect him. We've been fortunate with injuries so far this preseason, so we didn't want to take any risks."
The comments suggest there is no serious cause for alarm regarding Mount, who has built an unfortunate track record of injury absences, having missed around 70 of a possible 152 games since his move from Chelsea three years ago. He could therefore be back in contention when the Red Devils take on Leeds United in Dublin, Ireland on Wednesday.
Prior to the PSG clash, Mount had been one of the standout performers in preseason, frequently operating in a deeper position than he typically has in the past. That tactical experiment has been touted as a potential answer to United's transfer window dilemma, with several positions still in need of reinforcement over the remaining three weeks.
Any Injury Leaves Man Utd's Midfield Vulnerable
Yet even with Mount potentially serving as an additional No. 6 in a deep-lying playmaker capacity, supporters remain skeptical about whether the current options are sufficient.
The central midfield area was already short on depth last season, and the situation has since been compounded by Casemiro's departure and Manuel Ugarte's long-term injury. Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans are promising new additions, but for now it remains a case of two out, two in.
Should Carrick head into the new Premier League campaign with Santos, Tielemans, Mount, and Kobbie Mainoo as his four senior central midfielders, a single injury to any one of them—not just Mount—could leave the squad dangerously thin in the engine room.
Bruno Fernandes spent the early part of last season operating as a No. 8 under Ruben Amorim, a role he is capable of filling. However, it pulled the captain away from his most effective position further up the pitch, and it was only when he shifted back to the No. 10 spot that his assist output truly flourished.
Tyler Fletcher, who earned a surprise Scotland World Cup call-up in June, has featured fairly regularly this summer. However, the nature of his appearances suggests Carrick still sees the promising teenager as a squad option rather than a first-choice starter.
What Is Man Utd's Strongest Midfield?
Santos spoke to reporters after the final whistle in Gothenburg, stating that he "prefers" operating in the deeper No. 6 role. The Brazilian tends toward safe, measured passing rather than adventurous distribution, and functions as a reliable defensive shield rather than a physical, hard-tackling presence. Of the four senior midfielders, he is the only one who can be considered primarily defensive in nature. Fletcher, at 19, is the most tenacious and combative of the group, though his readiness for regular first-team action remains an open question.
Tielemans, who made an unofficial debut off the bench against PSG, is a polished line-breaking passer, while Mainoo—expected to return to training after a post-World Cup break this week—sits somewhere between the Belgian and Santos in terms of profile.
Logic suggests Tielemans is best placed to be the most frequent starter, with the specific demands of each match determining whether Santos or Mainoo—or perhaps both—line up alongside him. That said, Carrick's well-documented admiration for Mainoo adds an intriguing dimension to the selection debate.
Mainoo may not be fit enough to feature against Leeds on Wednesday, meaning next weekend's clash with AC Milan in Poland could be the earliest chance to get some answers.
With the Champions League set to add a minimum of eight additional fixtures to the calendar, alongside expected deeper runs in both domestic cup competitions, there will be considerably more game time to distribute than there was in 2025–26, when Casemiro and Mainoo played virtually every minute during the second half of the season.