Ruben Amorim said it would be “perfect” if Mason Mount could make a five-minute comeback at Leicester on Sunday.
The midfielder has missed Manchester United’s last 20 games with a hamstring injury, but has now returned to training and was named by co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe as one of the club’s biggest earners who was unavailable to the Amorim.
But the head coach has declared that he “loves” Mount and wonders if part of the former Chelsea player’s problem has been caused by caring too much and trying too much to get fit again.
Mount cost United £55m and has only started nine league games for them but Amorim is hoping to see the footballer who helped Chelsea win the Champions League.
“I really love Mason Mount,” he said. “I see him and know how he suffered. I know how he does everything right – he eats right, his physical aspect is perfect. He’s trying too much. Maybe he is thinking too much about everything.
“He was European champion, he is a talent. When a player does everything like he does, he will always have the support of everybody here at the club. We will try to manage the load.
“You saw players who had a lot of problems in time but they can then stay fit and I believe a lot in Mason Mount. We need players like Mason Mount. I think he will be on the bench, we will see. We need him and every player. If he is fit I will take him. He cannot play too many minutes but just five minutes of Mason Mount is perfect.”
Amorim is waiting to see if Harry Maguire is fit to return to face his former club at the King Power Stadium on Sunday but has said that Kobbie Mainoo will be out for a few weeks more.
The head coach also told the former United players who have become pundits to understand the context rather than make simplistic criticisms of Bruno Fernandes.
Roy Keane has been outspoken about a successor as United captain, who he called “not a fighter”.
But Fernandes has scored six goals in his last six games, including a hat-trick in Thursday’s Europa League win over Real Sociedad and Amorim has come to the defence of his fellow Portuguese.
He added: “He is so important for this team and you can see from the numbers and the last games he is always the guy who scores. It is not the most important thing or the only thing – but he is always there.
“When you play for this team you have to be prepared for the critics and I understand that former players had a lot of success here and the standard for them where so high. They see things like that in black and white. Life is sometimes not black and white – there are other colours and you have to understand that context. He is always there, trying his best. I am really proud to coach a player like him.”
