Michael Carrick held court at Carrington yesterday, and while the mood was upbeat following the clinical 3-1 dismantling of Aston Villa, the United boss was quick to temper expectations regarding a full return for Mason Mount.
With a trip to the Vitality Stadium looming on Friday night, Carrick made it clear that he won’t be gambling on the fitness of his number 7, despite Mount being back in the matchday squad.
The Mount Dilemma: “Starting Would Be Too Much”
Fans were hoping to see Mount back in the starting XI after he watched the Villa win from the bench, but Carrick is playing the long game. The interim boss confirmed that while Mount is training well, he isn’t quite “match-fit” for a full 90 minutes just yet.
“Starting would be too much, I think, at this point,” Carrick revealed. “Just for the training time and the exposure he’s had, really. But it’s brilliant to have him back. He’s a fantastic player and great to have around the group again.”
