Mason Mount was used as part of the midfield 2 last night against Brighton, a move we had expected to see more of this season.
Both in Frank Lampard’s 4231 and the 343 that Thomas Tuchel has used since arriving, there’s a real sense that deploying Mount as one of the deeper players means we can squeeze an extra attacking midfielder into the side.
Last night, with Mateo Kovacic out, it also meant Tuchel could rest N’Golo Kante.
But isn’t it Mount who needs resting as much as anyone? After last night’s team news – which saw Kepa replace Edouard Mendy in goal – Mount has now started 27 Premier League games. That’s one more start than Mendy, the first choice keeper. As well as the most starts, Mount has also played the most minutes with 3449 in the Premier League.
We all know that playing in midfield is about as tiring as it gets, and the fact that Mason has had more starts and played more minutes than anyone else should be worrying. Of course we all understand why – he’s a key player – but nights like last night remind us all that we’ve got to protect him at all costs.
