France and Juventus midfield star Paul Pogba will reportedly miss the World Cupafter suffering another injury setback.
Pogba, 29, has not played since suffering a knee injury in pre-season. He was initially expected to be out until September but was forced to have surgery to fix his damaged meniscus, a procedure that threatened to end his World Cup dream.
Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri told reporters that Pogba wouldn’t play for his team again until after the tournament in Qatar.
But the former Manchester United star made a surprise return to first-team training earlier this month. Yet it’s thought he has now suffered a fresh injury.
As reported by Gazzetta dello Sport, Pogba has sustained a thigh injury in training and is unlikely to be fit in time for France’s World Cup opener against Australia in Al-Wakrah on November 22. France’s other group games are against Denmark and Tunisia.
It’s believed Pogba was working towards being fully fit in time for the tournament and the second half of the European season. He was not planning on featuring in any of Juventus’ remaining four fixtures before the international action gets underway shortly.
Pogba’s new injury will reportedly delay his progress by another 10 days, leaving Didier Deschamps in a difficult situation.
Deschamps must decide on whether to take a huge gamble on the 91-cap international, with other midfielders at his disposal.
The likes of Eduardo Camavinga, Aurelien Tchouameni, Youssouf Fofana and former Arsenal midfielder Matteo Guendouzi have all impressed in recent months and may feel aggrieved if Deschamps picks Pogba – a player with no match fitness – ahead of them.
As there are no friendlies before the World Cup, Pogba does not have the opportunity to get any minutes under his belt ahead of the Australia clash.
Deschamps has already lost one important midfielder – Chelsea ace N’Golo Kante – to a hamstring injury.
We’ve got the edge. Get real-time reports, breaking scoops, and exclusive angles delivered straight to your phone. Don’t settle for stale news. Join LEADERSHIP NEWS on WhatsApp for 24/7 updates →
Join Our WhatsApp Channel
