Mount is injured again, missing training and likely to miss the pre-season friendly! Roma has reduced Kone's price to €55 million.

Simon Stone of the BBC reports that Manchester United's midfielder Mason Mount will not feature in the pre-season match against Leeds United on Wednesday. The 27-year-old Englishman had impressed during the pre-season fixtures, playing as a deeper-lying number 8 and linking up well with new arrival Andre Santos. However, in last Saturday's game against Paris Saint-Germain in Gothenburg, Sweden, he left the pitch injured after only 20 minutes.

Carrick stated at the time that Mount had simply been kicked and was taken off as a precaution. After the match, Mount was indeed able to walk normally and boarded the team bus without issue. However, British media report that he has not trained since then, missing sessions on Monday and Tuesday, making it unlikely that he will play against Leeds United at the Croker Park stadium.

Furthermore, it is currently unknown whether Mount will be able to participate in the match against AC Milan in Poland on Saturday, whose manager Ruben Amorim was once Mount's mentor. That is United's final pre-season friendly, and if Mount cannot play, his chances of starting in the first Premier League match away at Hull City would be dashed.

The Daily Telegraph reports that Mount's injury appears more serious than Carrick initially anticipated, requiring treatment and thus preventing him from training in recent days. United still insists that Mount's injury is not severe and that they are taking a cautious approach to ensure he doesn't miss the start of the Premier League season.

However, since joining United from Chelsea for £60 million, Mount has suffered a multitude of injuries, which is why fans lack confidence in his fitness and worry at the slightest sign of trouble.

Manchester United are currently in talks with Leicester City's 18-year-old defensive midfielder Louis Page, but it is believed that Carrick needs a more "ready-made" defensive midfielder rather than a future star who has never played in the Premier League.

French international Manu Kone, who was once heavily linked with United, has now returned to Roma in Serie A for training. According to Italy's Il Messaggero, if Chelsea sells Enzo Fernández, they could enter the race for Kone. Meanwhile, Roma manager Giampiero Gasperini has refused to comment directly on Kone's future.

"I don't know. We now have a CEO, so you'll have to ask him about these transfer market questions. Ask him what Roma can and cannot do. The operations and possibilities in the transfer market depend on his decisions," said Gasperini.

However, Il Corriere dello Sport previously reported that Roma have lowered their asking price for Kone, with €55 million (£47 million) being their minimum requirement. An offer of €50 million (£42.5 million) would not be accepted.

Mount's injury clearly benefits another summer signing, Youri Tielemans. The Belgian captain, who joined from Aston Villa for £35 million, now has a strong chance to start as the holding midfielder in the first Premier League match. His physical strength is more reliable than Mount's, and his fitness progress is ahead of Kobbie Mainoo.

Lisandro Martínez, who was injured in the World Cup final, has also arrived at the training camp in Dublin, Ireland, and has been training consistently. England internationals Marcus Rashford and Kobbie have also participated in training, but they have only practiced for a few days and may not be ready for the pre-season match against Leeds United.

The Manchester Evening News believes that only four positions in Carrick's starting lineup for the first Premier League match are still uncertain. Apart from the competition between Tielemans and Mount, the other three are: right-back between Diogo Dalot and Mazraoui; center-back partner for Maguire between Eden Heaven, Leny Yoro, or Licha; and left winger between Cunha, Patrick Dorgu, or Rashford.