Mason Mount is still a viable option at Manchester United even though he hasn’t started a Premier League game in almost four months.

The way Bruno Fernandes handles Manchester United players is a good indicator of their character.

Many people have been scolded, and Jadon Sancho bit back when he did so against Aston Villa the previous season. “Bruno, stop moaning.” No matter how many times a United teammate gave Sancho a boost, it was insufficient to take him to new heights.

In November, Mason Mount played less than two minutes against Fulham, and his initial ball attempt did not find Alejandro Garnacho or Fernandes. Garnacho gave himself a reprimand for it and slapped his thighs. However, Fernandes praised Mount’s intentions and gave it a thumbs up.

Despite hiring a seasoned PR, Mount has been media shy since being paraded by United six months ago. Following the release of a video showing Mount refusing to sign products despite being hounded by professional autograph hunters, United got in touch with the Manchester Evening News on his behalf. That was on July 14, which was nine days after Mount became a United member.

On the preseason tour, Mount asked to avoid taking on any media engagements because he was worried about the response from Chelsea supporters. Following his debut in Dublin following his move from Chelsea to United in 2017, Nemanja Matic made a stop in the mixed zone.

A colleague who has dealt with Mount at England team get-togethers does not paint this picture of him. At St George’s Park, Mount was described as talkative, but United has a history of turning talkative football players silent.

We all don’t know what drives Mount or how he is feeling following a humiliating start to his United career. However, he requires a shoulder-to-shoulder hug.

Mount and Luke Shaw share a hospitality box at Old Trafford, and Mount probably put his fingers in his ears when he heard Chelsea supporters shout in December.

“Who is that t— who is a Portsmouth native?

“that is that w—- that is after money?

“His nаme is Mason Mount, and he lacks mentаl capacity.

“And he won’t be winning trophies anymore!”

It is a ripoff of a cry that United supporters modified for Carlos Tevez when he moved to City in 2009. Tevez’s lack of English was not going to stop him, and he had the courage to be part of City’s breakthrough years during Roberto Mancini’s tenure.

We’re going to find out if Mount is equally resilient. When wearing the number seven on their shirts, Angel di Maria, Memphis Depay, and Alexis Sanchez all had much better starts. Michael Owen did as well. For the current United number seven, it has already been a long time ago.

Mount was the unusual recipient of the most legendary number in United. Alejandro Garnacho would have won the fans’ vote, but he would have been too young. It should have been left unanswered.

Upon visiting the Megastore in August, fears were validated: nearly all of the kids’ printing requests were for “Mount 7.” More significant than the player is the number.

Mount hasn’t moved into his new residence yet, but he called United “home” during a private tour of Old Trafford. Throughout the course of 12 games, two ιnjury layoffs, and three months, there were no goals and no assists.

There has been such a mismatch in their cooperation with Casemiro. On October 7, Mount ended up on the right side against Brentford. He was left off the England roster and was left off the team for the United match against Sheffield United. Since the Brentford match, Mount has not made a start in the Premier League.

United has started Mount and Casemiro in midfield for seven games; they have won three and lost four. Both on and off the field contributed to United’s victory over Brentford, and Crystal Palace enabled them to eliminate the opposition in the League Cup.

Kobbie Mainoo earned his Premier League debut in the two months that Mount has been recovering from a calf ιnjury, so the question now is who starts in the midfield with Mainoo. That would be Casemiro, logically.

Erik ten Hag is not going to consider benching Fernandes anytime soon, and Garnacho has made an excellent transition to the right. Mount is a £60 million replacement who has experience in the Champions League, European Championship, Club World Cup, FA Cup, and League Cup finals.

With Garnacho on the left, Fernandes might go to the right to make room for Mount, who would be the playmaker and maximize his pressuring. In July, United’s lineup against Real Madrid looked like this, but it only lasted for 74 seconds because Mainoo was injured when Casemiro fouled Rodrygo.

It would be prudent for Mount to consult his friend Shaw. Louis van Gaal declared in the preseason that Shaw, another southerner who relocated to the north at a younger age, “is not very fit and fit enough to do what I want” because of how disastrоus his first season at United was. Shaw saw seven separate layoffs in 2014–15, but he started 18 of United’s 42 games.

Shaw showed up at the San Carlo restaurant off Deansgate on a Saturday night, well after it’s advisable for a recuperating athlete to peruse the menu items, including pasta and pizza, during his first absence due to a hamstring ιnjury.

Shaw’s friend placed the meal order; he did not, and his girlfriend met them there. He headed across Trinity Bridge to The Lowry, his makeshift residence. But Shaw was seen departing long after 9 o’clock at night because the paparazzi had been tipped off.

The following morning, Shaw tweeted, “Had a nice meal with my mates last night,” with a happy emoji. Two weeks prior, a similar write-up had caught his attention and revealed a lighter side.

For Shaw to stay at United this long, he required character.