Mason Mount could make his latest comeback for Man United this weekend while there is more positive news on the injury front.
Ruben Amorim gushed about the returning Mason Mount, dubbing the injury-prone Manchester United midfielder “perfect”.
Mount could make his first appearance since December 15 on Sunday against Leicester City, where he is set to be named on the bench.
The 26-year-old has played in 33 United games out of a possible 97 since he signed from Chelsea for £55million rising to £60m in July 2023.
United bought Mount as a central midfielder, even though he is best known as a playmaker, and the United number seven could have a key role in Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 set-up as one of the two playmakers behind the striker.
Mount started there in Chelsea’s Champions League final victory over Manchester City in 2021 and he occupied the same role for England in the European Championship less than two months later.
“I really love Mason Mount,” Amorim enthused. “I see him and know how he suffered. I know how he does everything right – he eats right, his physical aspect is perfect. He’s trying too much. Maybe he is thinking too much about everything.
“He was European champion, he is a talent. When a player does everything like he does, he will always have the support of everybody here at the club. We will try to manage the load.
“You saw players who had a lot of problems in time but they can then stay fit and I believe a lot in Mason Mount. We need players like Mason Mount.
“I think he will be on the bench, we will see. We need him and every player. If he is fit I will take him. He cannot play too many minutes but just five minutes of Mason Mount is perfect.”
United will assess Harry Maguire before deciding whether to name him in their squad against his former club this weekend. Maguire has missed the last three matches after coming off before extra time against Fulham in the FA Cup quarter-final. Kobbie Mainoo could make his comeback from a two-month lay-off against Nottingham Forest on April 1.
Casemiro was substituted in the 79th minute against Real Sociedad on Thursday evening after starting three games within a week. The 33-year-old, who received a standing ovation upon his removal, could keep his place even with the availability of fellow defensive midfielder Manuel Ugarte.
“With different competitions we have to rotate because we are risking a little bit,” Amorim explained. “For example, Casemiro was so tired. We didn’t want to risk Ugarte because today (Thursday) it was a decision in one competition and Ugarte wanted to stay [on the bench].
“Mason Mount is going to return really slowly. Kobbie maybe will return in a few weeks, I am not sure. Harry Maguire we tried not to risk, we will see for Sunday.
“We need all the players. Against Lyon (in the Europa League quarter-finals), it is going to be a different type of game. The physicality is going to be more demanding in that aspect and we have a lot of difficult games in the Premier League.”
Bruno Fernandes scored a hat-trick in the 4-1 win against Sociedad to take his tally for the season to 15 goals, his joint-second best haul for United.
The Portuguese was lambasted by Roy Keane in a peculiar diatribe earlier this month and Fernandes has since scored five of United’s last seven goals. Amorim feels some of the former United players-turned-pundits lack context.
“He (Fernandes) is so important for this team and you can see from the numbers and the last games he is always the guy who scores,” he added. “It is not the most important thing or the only thing – but he is always there.
“When you play for this team you have to be prepared for the critics and I understand that former players had a lot of success here and the standards for them were so high. They see things like that in black and white. Life is sometimes not black and white – there are other colours and you have to understand that context.
“He (Fernandes) is always there, trying his best. I am really proud to coach a player like him.”
