What happened after Mason Mount suffered latest Man United blow spoke volumes
Manchester United midfielder Mason Mount cut a solemn figure as he came off against Manchester City just moments into the derby.
With play on the other side of the pitch, Mount went down to the turf with a resigned look on his face. As he received treatment, his United teammates went over to console him.
Captain Bruno Fernandes led the way by embracing the former Chelsea man with an arm around the shoulder. As he inevitably came off, Mount was approached by a number of United players as well as Phil Foden who knows the 25-year-old through the England setup.
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However, not wanting to see his teammates' spirits dip too much, affecting their performance, Mount could be seen shouting: "Come on," in an attempt to rally them. While this was a selfless act, the reality is that the midfielder will be devastated.
As he left the field, Gary Neville on commentary for Sky Sports said: "It's not good. No good losing your player 12 minutes into a match but for Mason Mount, he's got that resigned look on his face of someone who has been in the gym, rehabilitating long enough.
"At the age of 32-35 I kept getting recurring injuries and it is demoralising, you feel like you are letting everybody down and he's young." Since joining United in July 2023, Mount has missed 30 matches due to injury. It is currently unclear what the issue is now but a spell on the sidelines seems inevitable.
What makes things particularly difficult for Mount is that he had been performing well since Ruben Amorim arrived at the club. Having only signed in 2023 for a fee of £50m, Mount still has a lengthy contract remaining at Old Trafford - expiring in 2028.