Mason Mount Injury a Clear Reminder of What Man Utd Must Still Do

Seventy games. That’s the number of competitive Manchester United matches Mason Mount has missed through injury following his 2023 transfer from Chelsea.

Some stirring preseason performances have raised expectations that Mount could make a real impression for United and new permanent manager Michael Carrick during 2026–27, putting behind the 27-year-old a difficult period in his career that’s seen him fall completely out of the England national team reckoning.

Most of Mount’s time on the sidelines has been due to muscular injuries affecting his calf or hamstring, but his latest setback—one BBC Sport reports will force him to miss United’s latest preseason friendly against rivals Leeds United—is the result of an unfortunate kick he was on the receiving end of against back-to-back Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain this past Saturday.

Carrick said at the time that Mount’s subsequent substitution was nothing more than a precautionary measure, but his failure to train ahead of the game with Leeds highlights exactly why United must remain proactive in this summer window.

Midfield Signings Are Good but More Are Required

Reinforcing in central areas has been a clear priority for United this summer.

Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos would appear to be two very good bits of business, mixing technical quality with tenacity and a high work rate, and cover to a degree the skillset of the departed Casemiro. Indeed, Tielemans isn’t a defensive midfielder by trade but is used to controlling games from deep with an expansive passing range, while Santos offers more athleticism and can progress the ball between the lines as well as driving forward himself.

A tough-tacking disruptor ideally needs to come in to complement the duo, joining a midfield that can also call on Kobbie Mainoo, Bruno Fernandes and, when fit again, Manuel Ugarte.

Encouragingly, Mount has returned to the fold for United’s preseason fixtures, benefitting from the additional time off handed to Fernandes and Mainoo post-World Cup to play well in a deep-lying Tielemans-like role.

Mount’s constant battles with injuries—he’s been sidelined on 10 separate occasions in three years at Old Trafford—is a concern though. He can’t be looked at as a reliable option for Carrick until he gets consecutive weeks, if not months, of action under his belt, and United’s increased workload this season having returned to the Champions League means regular rotation and managing of minutes will be a necessity.

United do have Tyler Fletcher and Shea Lacey coming through the ranks, but Carrick needs to lean on experience—something Mount certainly offers—to help the club navigate the first few months of 2026–27.

At the very least, somebody who is a more rounded midfielder, certainly with more bite in the tackle and reading of the game than Mount has, needs to come in to ensure United have a robustness about them when it comes to big games.

United’s Midfield Targets

Mason Mount in preseason action for Man Utd. — Mount has looked sharp. | Ash Donelon/Manchester United/Getty Images

United have been linked with a plethora of midfielders, ranging from Aurélien Tchouaméni and Manu Koné—starters in France’s 2026 World Cup campaign—to Tyler Adams and Sander Berge.

But it’s perhaps an old flame that United will be encouraged to return for before the summer window slams shut. Brighton & Hove Albion’s Carlos Baleba was once valued as highly as $133 million (£100 million) but after an indifferent season, his stock appears to have dropped a little.

Still, at just 22, Baleba has his entire career ahead of him and ticks a lot of the boxes of United’s ideal midfield profile. It may still take over $93 million (£70 million) to persuade Brighton to sell, but it’s feasible that United’s chiefs would sanction the move, knowing the impact Baleba could have over a prolonged period of time.

In a strange kind of way, Mount’s latest issue may provide the ammunition Carrick needs for United to spend again, though all concerned will hope this is a minor blip that can be quickly overcome ahead of a strong campaign.

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