By the time Manchester United kicks off on Monday night, at Hill Dickinson Stadium in Liverpool, it will have been 13 days since they last played- a home draw with West Ham United. The extra days off (due to United already having been eliminated early from the FA Cup) has given English midfielder Mason Mount more time to get match fit.
Mount has an unspecified/undisclosed injury that some are reporting as a knock, but that doesn’t sound right. He has been out since Michael Carrick’s first game in charge, the thrilling Manchester Derby win back on Jan 17.
Manchester United at Everton FC FYIs
Kick: Mon Feb. 23, 8pm, Hill Dickinson Stadium, Liverpool, UK
Google Result Probability: United 49% Draw 25% Everton FC 26%
Team News: Manchester United Everton FC
Premier League Form, Standing: United WWWWD, 4th, 45 pts Everton FC WDDWL 8th, 37 pts
Man United Team News
When you’ve been out for more than a month, and still counting (as he won’t be in the squad Monday), it’s not a knock, it’s a pretty substantial injury.
“We have been patient with him,” Carrick said a couple hours ago, in regards to Mount. “We don’t want to push anything. He’s an important part of the group, and we want him back and fit, and he’ll have a big impact for us. So he’s getting closer, which is good for us.”
So still no true timeline, and obviously, no disclosure of what the injury actually is.
As for Matthijs de Ligt, and his lower back injury, the wait continues. The former Juventus central defender has suffered a couple setbacks in his recovery.
Said Carrick on Friday: “Matta (De Ligt) is a bit behind Mason, so we’re just trying to work with him to progress him.”
So probably a mid-Match return for him? Maybe?
Patrick Dorgu remains out until around, or after the March internationals, with the hamstring injury he sustained in the surprising win over Arsenal
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, RG.org and Ratings.org. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.