Erik ten Hag has affirmed his confidence in Mason Mount’s potential to shine for Manchester United despite a challenging previous season marked by injuries.
“You can’t judge his season, because he was injured. Don’t judge him,” Ten Hag told The Athletic.
“But when he is fit, he will be a very good player for us and we can use him, versatile (player), he will help us a lot,” he added.
United have resumed their pre-season activities, recently securing a 2-0 victory against Rangers in a high-profile friendly at Murrayfield.
Mason Mount – image from Fabrizio Romano
The match saw the return of Jadon Sancho to the starting lineup for the first time in nearly a year, following the resolution of his differences with Ten Hag.
UCL: Gyokeres told he was ‘barely visible’ during Sporting vs Arsenal clash Viktor Gyokeres endured a frustrating return to Lisbon as Arsenal squeezed out a 1-0 win over Sporting CP in their Champions League quarter-final first leg, with the striker coming under heavy criticism from the Portuguese media. The Swedish forward, who previously starred for Sporting, was largely ineffective throughout the encounter at the Estadio Jose Alvalade. Despite a strong reception from home supporters, his performance failed to match expectations. Local outlet A Bola summed up his performance bluntly, stating: “The striker celebrates with a mask, [but] seemed masked: he was barely visible.” Other publications echoed similar sentiments, with O Jogo noting that Sporting “stifled” their former talisman, while Público described him as “largely absent from the game.” Gyokeres, who scored 97 goals in 102 appearances during his time in Portugal, managed just 17 touches and struggled to impose himself against a defence that appeared well-drilled in neutralising his strengths. Numbers speak to a difficult outing Statistically, his performance showed lack of impact. His only notable involvement came in the build-up to a disallowed goal for Martin Zubimendi, where he was flagged offside. A late effort on goal, comfortably handled by Rui Silva, summed up an underwhelming night for the forward, who was unable to replicate his usual clinical edge that led Arsenal to invest heavily in his signing. Substitutes changed the game With Gyokeres struggling to influence play, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta turned to his bench for inspiration. The introduction of Gabriel Martinelli and Kai Havertz proved decisive. Havertz eventually delivered the breakthrough with a stoppage-time winner, sealing a narrow advantage for the Premier League side ahead of the second leg in London.
Apr 8, 2026
Mount, who joined United last summer, has undoubtedly, been a focal point of Ten Hag’s plans.