Mason Mount could find himself yet again on the Chelsea bench this weekend.
According to The Evening Standard, it’s now ‘increasingly likely’ that the 24-year-old player won’t be included in the starting line-up against Southampton.
The Blues are back in Premier League action tomorrow afternoon when they host Southampton at Stamford Bridge.
For Graham Potter’s side, things are getting pretty desperate after three consecutive draws in the league. In fact, they’ve won only one of their seven Premier League matches in 2023 so far.
Southampton, who are bottom of the division table, look like they could be the perfect opponents for Chelsea this weekend. It’s worth pointing out the Saints won the reverse fixture earlier this season, though.
Mount has been used off the bench in games against West Ham and Borussia Dortmund in the past week, so he should be feeling fresh and eager to start at home to Southampton.
However, it looks like Joao Felix has got the No.10 position locked down for the immediate future with the way he’s been playing.
Of course, there’s other ways of fitting Mount into the line-up, whether that be out wide or deeper in the midfield. But does Potter feel he’s ready to come back into the XI after recently dropping him?
Potter spoke very positively about Mount during his pre-match press conference on Friday, explaining that he would like him to stay at Stamford Bridge and sign a new contract.
There’s some negativity around Mount right now both on and off the field, but this weekend’s fixture could be perfect to help him turn a corner.
It’s got something extra riding on it for him against Southampton given his Portsmouth connections, and he’s proven in the past he’s really dangerous when he’s got something to prove.
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