Mason Mount may force Erik ten Hag to play ‘unwanted’ Manchester United player

Manchester United will be without Mason Mount for their Premier League encounters against Nottingham Forest and Arsenal due to injury.

Mason Mount picked up an injury against Tottenham Hotspur during Manchester United‘s 2-0 loss against the North London team, with Erik ten Hag now needing to change his XI.

The Dutch manager has played an unchanged starting team for the first two fixtures this summer, he will have to make some changes in order to accommodate for Mount’s injury.

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This may, however, have been expected regardless, with many calling for changes to the midfield structure after it looked too easy for opposition players to cut through during the opening two games.

Mount has been playing alongside Casemiro so far this campaign, and Gary Neville explained to Sky Sports on Saturday evening that a new signing needs to be planted there – or, Ten Hag can go back to playing Scott McTominay, despite the suggestion that the manager does not want to play the Scottish midfielder.

“Ten Hag wants a No.6 who can play alongside Casemiro and right now the club can’t sell players to fund him,” said Neville.

“If they look at the first two weeks they have to fund him or there will be big problems. What is clear is that Ten Hag does not want to go back to Scott McTominay.”

With Mount out, Ten Hag may have no choice but to play McTominay alongside Casemiro. With Fred having been sold and Christian Eriksen not the right profile to add defensive stability, McTominay is the only realistic option that Ten Hag has.