Former Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim had hoped to be the tactician to fire Mason Mount back into the England fold, but following the World Cup squad announcement, it showed that his efforts had failed. The 27-year-old midfielder was left out of Thomas Tuchel's 26-man squad for the forthcoming tournament across North America, with his last Three Lions appearance coming four years ago during the previous World Cup.
Amorim, who was sacked after a brief spell at Old Trafford, had planned to do everything he could to allow Mount to flourish and stake his claim for a place in the England squad. The Portuguese boss reportedly viewed Mount as a 'super talent' and one of the most underrated English players, often deploying him in a versatile role at United.
However, Mount struggled for game time under interim boss Michael Carrick, who took over after Amorim's departure. The England international managed just six games during Carrick's temporary spell, amassing 126 minutes, with his only 90-minute outing coming in a goalless draw against Sunderland. A knock in February caused him to miss six matches, and the lack of minutes since was precautionary as the club pushed to get him back to full fitness.
Carrick had previously praised Mount's return, saying: 'It's great to have Mason back... he's obviously had nearly two, three weeks of building up and finding his rhythm, finding his sharpness.' Despite this, Mount's limited playing time and Carrick's preference for a system without two number 10s—where Mount had found joy—ultimately hindered his chances of making the England squad.
