Manchester United's 1-1 pre-season draw with reigning European and French champions Paris Saint-Germain in Gothenburg was overshadowed by a worrying injury to Mason Mount, though head coach Michael Carrick later moved to ease fears over the midfielder's fitness.
Mount lasted less than 20 minutes of Saturday's friendly at the Ullevi Stadium before he was withdrawn, appearing to have suffered a knock either to his foot or leg after a heavy challenge. The 27-year-old was seen speaking with United's medical staff on the touchline before making his way down the tunnel, replaced by teenage midfielder Tyler Fletcher.
The scare will have alarmed United supporters given Mount's injury-plagued spell since his £55m move from Chelsea in 2023, a transfer that has yielded just 54 league appearances, many from the bench, and only 25 Premier League starts. However, Carrick played down the severity of the issue afterward, and footage circulating on social media showed Mount walking without any visible discomfort as he left the stadium.
"He got kicked," Carrick explained. "We just wanted to be careful and look after him. We've been lucky with injuries so far, so we wanted to be careful."
United's problems were compounded further in the second half when veteran goalkeeper Tom Heaton, deputising in a makeshift squad, pulled up with a hamstring injury after dashing off his line to clear the ball. The 40-year-old received lengthy treatment before being forced off, with Dermot Mee coming on in his place.
On the pitch, United showed plenty of promise despite falling behind inside two minutes, with Ibrahim Mbaye - a player reportedly of interest to Liverpool - capitalising on loose defending to give PSG an early lead. United hit back through Bryan Mbeumo, who was played through by Amad Diallo before finishing well in the 32nd minute. It was Mbeumo's third goal in as many games following his brace against Atletico Madrid, and he might have added another but for a strong display from PSG goalkeeper Matvey Safonov, who was jeered by the crowd after a reckless challenge on Joshua Zirkzee went unpunished.
Carrick was satisfied with his side's overall performance against a PSG team missing several key players. "I enjoyed it. Good challenge. Slightly different with the way they play. We should've scored more goals," he told MUTV. "It's good for the boys sometimes to have to problem-solve and find their own way, and I thought we did that. That prepares them for the season as well. In that respect there were a lot of things that maybe people don't always see that we were quite happy with. There were some good signs there."
Captain Bruno Fernandes made his first pre-season appearance, combining well in the closing stages with new signing Youri Tielemans, who also made his United debut off the bench. Fletcher, along with fellow youngster Shea Lacey, also had late opportunities to add to the scoreline.
United's goalkeeping situation remains a concern heading into the new campaign. With first-choice Senne Lammens and forward Matheus Cunha left at Carrington due to minor illnesses, and back-up options Altay Bayindir and Radek Vitek both having completed departures - to Celta Vigo on loan and Middlesbrough respectively - Carrick was forced to rely on Heaton, Mee and teenager Fred Heath as his only available options in Sweden. New free agent addition Karl Darlow remains sidelined following a minor procedure.
United also continue to be without Benjamin Sesko, Matthijs de Ligt and Manuel Ugarte, while Kobbie Mainoo, Marcus Rashford and Lisandro Martinez are expected to rejoin the squad during a training camp in the Republic of Ireland following their post-World Cup breaks.
Carrick's side face Leeds in Dublin on Wednesday before taking on Ruben Amorim's AC Milan in Wroclaw, ahead of their Premier League opener away at newly promoted Hull City on 22 August.
Based on reporting from Standard Sport, The Guardian, and The Independent.