Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount appears to be making swift progress in his recovery from injury.
The England international has endured a difficult season at Stamford Bridge and been bothered by a persistent pelvic injury.
Mount finally underwent surgery on the problem last month, with interim boss Frank Lampard confirming then that he would likely miss the remainder of the season as a result.
That has led many to wonder if the academy graduate may have already played his final game for Chelsea, with no sign of an extension to a contract that is due to expire next summer despite extensive talks with Todd Boehly.
There is plenty of transfer interest building in Mount for the window ahead including from the likes of Liverpool, with a £70million valuation placed on him by Chelsea despite that contract situation.
However, he could yet remain with the club, with Standard Sport understanding that incoming manager Mauricio Pochettino will ask Chelsea to restart contract negotiations with the 24-year-old, who has been placed alongside Reece James, Conor Gallagher and Levi Colwill as a core of homegrown players that the ex-Spurs coach wants to build his squad around.
MM19 back on the grass. 💪 pic.twitter.com/fzXVk4JCgA
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) May 15, 2023
With Chelsea only having three more tricky-looking matches on their schedule before the end of a dire campaign, Mount is in a race against time to play any part in the tough back-to-back away trips to Manchester City and Manchester United or the home closer against Newcastle.
However, he seems to be making quick strides in his recovery from surgery, having updated his Instagram on Monday night with pictures of him out on the grass kicking a ball in training gear at Cobham.
“One step closer,” he wrote next to those encouraging images.
Chelsea also shared those images of Mount at Cobham along with the caption: “MM19 back on the grass.”
Lampard - expected to hand over the managerial reins to Pochettino in the summer - will hope that Mount and England colleague Ben Chilwell may yet play some part before the season’s end, though James is behind that pair in his recovery from a hamstring injury.
Midfielders N’Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic are also sidelined at present with their own futures uncertain, joining Marc Cucurella, Marcus Bettinelli and long-term absentee Armando Broja.
Kalidou Koulibaly should be in line to return soon though, having returned to training last week.
