Manchester United earned a respectable 1-1 draw against European champions Paris Saint-Germain in a friendly in Gothenburg on Saturday, although Mason Mount’s injury overshadowed the performance.
The England midfielder moved to United from Chelsea in 2023 but has struggled with fitness issues throughout his time at Old Trafford. After being named in the starting lineup against PSG, he was forced off before the 20-minute mark.
Mount, 27, seemed to hurt his foot during the match in Sweden. After speaking with the coaching staff near the touchline, he was replaced by Tyler Fletcher. Injuries have limited Mount to only 54 league appearances, including numerous outings from the bench, across his first three seasons at the club.
United were trailing 1-0 when Mount left the pitch. Ibrahim Mbaye had put PSG ahead in the second minute despite the French side being without several leading players.
Bryan Mbeumo brought United level in the 32nd minute, finishing after Amad Diallo regained possession and created the opportunity for him.
United faced another fitness concern shortly after half-time when 40-year-old goalkeeper Tom Heaton appeared to injure his right hamstring as he came forward to clear the ball.
Mbeumo had opportunities to score a second goal, but PSG goalkeeper Matvey Safonov produced several impressive saves. Safonov was later booed as he left the field after avoiding punishment for colliding with Joshua Zirkzee well outside the penalty area, a challenge that could have resulted in disciplinary action in a competitive fixture.
Tyler Fletcher, Shea Lacey and captain Bruno Fernandes all had chances late in the game. Fernandes also combined effectively with new signing Youri Tielemans, offering an encouraging indication for United manager Michael Carrick.
Carrick said he enjoyed the match and viewed it as a valuable test against an opponent with a different playing style. He also believed United created enough opportunities to score more goals.
The manager added that the game required his players to work through problems and find solutions themselves, which should help prepare them for the coming season. He felt there were several positive aspects of the performance that may not have been immediately obvious.
United have two remaining preseason matches. They will face rivals Leeds in Dublin on 12 August before meeting AC Milan in Wroclaw, Poland, three days later. Their Premier League season begins away to newly promoted Hull on 22 August.
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