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Michael Carrick has been addressing the media ahead of Sunday’s Premier League clash with Crystal Palace at Old Trafford.
Long-term Injuries
The first question of the day was from BBC’s Simon Stone, who asked “We’ve asked a few times about Mason Mount and Matthijs de Ligt. What is the situation with them? Because Matthijs has not played since last time he played Palace, and Mason scored against Palace. So it’s a shared history.”
Carrick replied: “Mason is getting closer, really. He’s on the grass, he’s getting closer. So he’s looking to train and being around it pretty soon. So he’s getting close. Just have to be patient, really, a little bit. And he’s a big player for us, Mason. So looking after him, making sure he’s ready for a big finish to the season. So good news that he’s getting really close.”
“Matthijs a little bit longer. He’s had a back issue, which has just been a little bit slower to progress, really. It’s something that we’ve been working through. He’s getting there, he’s in the right direction, but as I said, he’s just a little bit further behind. It’s one of those things that’s disappointing, but it’s unfortunately part of football, so we’re getting back when we can.”
“Is there even a remote time scale for him?,” Stone asked. “Because obviously, when he was injured the first time, Ruben said, Oh, will he be back next week. And clearly we’re months down the line now. We’ve got an international break coming up.”
“No, it’s just the nature of the injury and the issue in the back,” the boss explained. “It’s a difficult one to pin down in some ways, especially time-wise. He’s definitely improving, so that’s a good thing. We’re just working towards that, really. There’s not much at this stage that I can give you anymore.”
The next question was “one player you’ll be familiar with is Harry Maguire from your previous time at the club. Just wonder when you’ve returned, what player you now see ahead of you? And of course, his contract situation. Does the club plan to maybe sit down with him in the near future, just about where his future could look like?”
The boss answered: “Harry is an impressive character. He’s had a great career so far. Hopefully, there’s a lot more to come. I think even what he’s been here in the journey and the experiences that he’s had, certainly since he’s been here in England as well, I think it showed exactly what he is. I think we all know the player that he is and what he’s capable of doing. Again, the other night there, I thought he was fantastic. Experience helped and that. He served to his attributes help and that. And his character, his willingness to put himself out there. He’s really impressive. He’s been really important for us.”
More to follow, refresh for updates …
Featured image Carl Recine via Getty Images
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