Mason Mount suffered the latest injury setback of his frustrating Manchester United career in the opening 12 minutes of Sunday's derby against Manchester City. The Red Devils midfielder was forced off after going to ground in the early stages, with Ruben Amorim calling on Kobbie Mainoo to replace him from the bench.
Mount made his fourth Premier League start of the season at the Etihad Stadium in a significant show of faith from Amorim.
But he looked distraught after hitting the deck off the ball with a new problem, and the 25-year-old was helped down the tunnel by a member of United's medical staff.
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Mount's team-mates will understand the anguish he has suffered since his £60million switch from Chelsea in 2022.
Bruno Fernandes was the first to console the United No. 7, who wore a devastated yet acceptant expression on his face.
Since landing at Old Trafford, Mount has only accumulated 32 appearances, managing to complete a full game just once.
He has missed a total of 30 matches as an injury absentee and could face his latest spell on the sidelines over the hectic winter period.
Amorim introduced Mainoo in Mount's place, partnering him with Manuel Ugarte in midfield and pushing Fernandes into a more advanced role alongside Amad.
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The Portuguese head coach made a pair of seismic decisions by excluding Alejandro Garnacho and Marcus Rashford from his matchday squad entirely.
United stirred the pot by communicating that neither attacker was injured, confirming that Amorim had dropped them both for the blockbuster clash.
The 39-year-old later explained his bold decision, insisting that both trained at Carrington in the morning and understood his reasoning.
"I pay attention to everything, the way you eat, the way you put your clothes to go to a game. Everything," Amorim told Sky Sports.
"I make my evaluation, and then I decide. There was a communication after the last training. They are alright. They had training this morning, and I was there. They trained really well."
Amorim may have harboured regrets when he noticed that Mount required assistance, but he will understand that these are the games where he will live and die by his decisions.
United were growing into a first half that produced a stark lack of quality from either side before Josko Gvardiol headed the hosts ahead in the 36th minute.
The Red Devils were undone by another corner routine, albeit from Kevin De Bruyne's deflected cross, to hand City the advantage before the interval.
