Michael Carrick has told Manchester United fans the status of Mason Mount and Matthijs de Ligt ahead of the Red Devils’ encounter with Crystal Palace on Sunday.
The 44-year-old Manchester United legend spoke to the media at the Carrington training complex on Friday afternoon for his pre-match press conference.
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Benjamin Sesko celebrates scoring during the Premier League match between Everton and Manchester United at the Hill Dickinson Stadium in Liverpool, England in 2026.
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Mason Mount has only made one appearance under Michael Carrick, which came in Man Utd’s 2-0 Premier League win over Manchester City at Old Trafford last month.
The 27-year-old United No 7 has not played in Carrick’s last five matches in charge as interim boss, while defender Matthijs de Ligt has been a long-term absentee now.
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Mason Mount during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Newcastle United at Old Trafford in 2025 in Manchester, England.
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Michael Carrick confirms Mason Mount is making progress on his return from Man Utd injury
Mason Mount has been recovering from a knock and the former Chelsea ace was on the bench for Manchester United’s 3-2 win over Arsenal at the Emirates in January.
Michael Carrick had hinted that Mount could have returned for Man Utd’s 1-0 win over Everton on Monday, but the ex-Chelsea ace was left out of the squad.
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The United interim head coach has insisted that the former England international is inching closer to his return and has been training with the United first-team squad.
“Mason is getting closer, he’s on the grass, he’s looking to train and be around it,” he said, as per the Manchester Evening News.
“We’ve just had to be patient really.”
Mount has made 19 appearances across all competitions in the 2025-26 season and has netted three times and registered one assist for the Red Devils.
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Michael Carrick rules Matthijs de Ligt out of action for Man Utd for the Crystal Palace match
Matthijs de Ligt has missed 15 matches across all competitions for the Red Devils since last November after Man Utd’s 2-1 Premier League win over Crystal Palace.
The 26-year-old former Ajax and Bayern Munich defender has a lower-back injury and Carrick explained it would take time for De Ligt to recover from his setback.
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“Matthijs has had a back issue, which has been a little bit sore to progress really,” Carrick said.
“He’s heading in the right direction.”
The United legend added: “It’s the nature of the injury, the issue in the back, it’s a difficult one to pin down time-wise. He’s definitely improving.”
Man Utd will welcome Crystal Palace to Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon, with the Premier League clash slated for a 2pm kick-off time in the UK.
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