Gothenburg: Mount’s injury overshadows Manchester United’s draw with PSG
Manchester United played to a 1-1 draw against Paris Saint-Germain in a friendly match held in Gothenburg, but the game was marked by an injury scare involving midfielder Mason Mount. The 27-year-old England international was substituted less than 20 minutes into the contest, raising concerns among fans and coaching staff.
Mount, who joined United from Chelsea in 2023, has faced a series of injury issues since his arrival at Old Trafford. His early departure from the match against PSG, where he appeared to suffer a foot injury, led to discussions with coaches on the touchline before Tyler Fletcher replaced him.
Carrick’s Cautious Approach
Michael Carrick, Manchester United‘s head coach, addressed the situation after the match, downplaying immediate concerns about Mount’s injury. Carrick indicated that the decision to withdraw Mount was primarily a precautionary measure.
“He got kicked,” Carrick explained to reporters. “We just wanted to be careful and look after him. We’ve been lucky with injuries so far, so we wanted to be careful.” This statement was reiterated to MUTV, the club’s in-house television station, suggesting a cautious approach to player welfare.
Further encouragement that the injury might not be severe came from observations of Mount walking without apparent difficulty as he headed towards the team coach after the game. This provided some relief regarding the midfielder’s condition.
Mount’s time at United has been significantly impacted by fitness problems, limiting his ability to secure a consistent place in the starting lineup. He has made only 54 league appearances during his first three seasons with the club, many of which were as a substitute. Reports indicate he has only started 25 Premier League matches out of a possible 114 since joining United.
Match Details and Further Concerns
The friendly match saw Manchester United fall behind early, with Ibrahim Mbaye scoring for PSG in the second minute. This occurred despite the French giants missing several of their star players. However, Bryan Mbeumo equalised for United in the 32nd minute, following a play where Amad Diallo won the ball back and set him up.
Carrick expressed satisfaction with his team’s overall performance, despite the early deficit. “I enjoyed it. Good challenge. Slightly different with the way they play. We should’ve scored more goals,” he told MUTV. He also noted the importance of players problem-solving on the field, stating, “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.”
The match also brought another injury concern for United in the second half when Tom Heaton, their 40-year-old goalkeeper, sustained a right hamstring problem. This happened as Heaton rushed out to make a clearance, adding to the team’s injury worries.
Despite the draw, United had opportunities to secure a victory. Mbeumo had a chance to score a second goal, but PSG goalkeeper Matvey Safonov made a fine save. Safonov later left the pitch to jeers after an incident where he clattered into Joshua Zirkzee outside his area, an action that might have resulted in punishment in a competitive fixture.
Late in the game, United created more chances through Fletcher, Shea Lacey, and captain Bruno Fernandes. Fernandes showed promising link-up play with new arrival Youri Tielemans, which Carrick viewed as an encouraging sign for the upcoming season. Carrick concluded his post-match comments by highlighting the positive aspects, stating, “In that respect there were a lot of things that maybe people don’t always see that we were quite happy with. There were some good signs there.”
Upcoming Fixtures
Manchester United has two more friendly matches scheduled before the start of their Premier League campaign. They are set to face Leeds in Dublin on Wednesday, followed by a match against AC Milan in Wroclaw three days later. Their Premier League season will commence with an away game against newly promoted Hull on 22 August.
Source: theguardian.com
