Graham Potter has praised Mason Mount for his “absolutely top” response to a difficult spell at Chelsea.
The 24-year-old’s future in west London remains uncertain, with his contract up at the end of next season and Bayern Munich, now managed by former Blues boss Thomas Tuchel, reportedly interested in a summer move for the midfielder.
Mount is also believed to be attracting interest from other Premier League sides, including Liverpool, with no progress made on contract renewal talks with Chelsea since the World Cup.
He has not played since the end of February due to a pubic bone injury, but is close to making a first-team return and is set to be involved in the Chelsea squad as the Blues welcome Aston Villa to Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
Discussing the issues Mount has faced in recent weeks, Potter admitted it has been challenging but insisted the midfielder has not allowed those distractions to impact his conduct.
“It’s been tough for him,” Potter said in his pre-match conference.
“He’s had some niggling injuries, and noise and speculation off the pitch. But he’s a top professional, and a fantastic lad.
“How he’s acted with me, how he’s acted with the team, how he’s acted around us has been absolutely top. That’s credit to him because sometimes in your career things are difficult, they’re not quite how you’d like them to be.
“Then you have to act well and conduct yourself in a good way, and that’s exactly what he’s done.”
