Manchester United secured a credible 1-1 draw against European champions Paris Saint-Germain in a Gothenburg friendly on Saturday, but the result was overshadowed by an injury to Mason Mount. The England midfielder, who joined United from Chelsea in 2023, lasted fewer than 20 minutes after starting against PSG before being forced off with a foot injury.
Mount's Injury Woes Continue
Mount, 27, appeared to suffer a foot injury in Sweden and, following discussions with coaches on the touchline, left the field to be replaced by Tyler Fletcher. This latest setback adds to a difficult spell at Old Trafford, where Mount has been restricted to just 54 league appearances – many as a substitute – during his first three seasons with the club.
His side were 1-0 down to PSG at the time of Mount's injury, having gone behind in the second minute through an Ibrahim Mbaye goal, even though the French giants were missing many of their star players. United's response was positive, with Bryan Mbeumo equalising in the 32nd minute when Amad Diallo played him in after winning the ball back.
Further Injury Concerns
There were more injury concerns for United early in the second half when their 40-year-old goalkeeper, Tom Heaton, suffered a right hamstring problem while rushing out to make a clearance. The incident added to a frustrating day for United's medical staff.
Mbeumo might have doubled his tally but for the fine form of PSG's Matvey Safonov. However, the goalkeeper left the pitch to jeers after escaping punishment for clattering into Joshua Zirkzee well outside his area – an incident that may well have seen him sanctioned in a competitive match.
Encouraging Signs for Carrick
There were late chances for Fletcher, Shea Lacey and captain Bruno Fernandes, who linked up well with new arrival Youri Tielemans in an encouraging sign for the United manager, Michael Carrick. Speaking to MUTV, United's in-house television station, Carrick said: “I enjoyed it. Good challenge. Slightly different with the way they play. We should’ve scored more goals.
“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. 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
United have two more friendly fixtures, against bitter rivals Leeds in Dublin on 12 August and AC Milan in the Polish city of Wroclaw three days later, before launching their Premier League campaign away to newly promoted Hull on 22 August. The team will hope to have Mount and Heaton available for those matches as they continue their pre-season preparations.
