Paul Pogba's return to football will happen "in a few weeks", but Monaco's manager lowers expectations
"He still has the technique we know he has", but age and background will also affect, says Monaco manager.
Paul Pogba ended his 18-month ban earlier this year. The 32-year-old French player was banned by the Italian Anti-Doping National Tribunal due to a positive on testosterone in September 2023. Initially, the ban was going to be four years, although it was later reduced by the Court of Arbitration of Sport.
Pogba, formerly at Manchester United and Juventus, signed for Monaco in June, but a thigh injury delayed his long awaited return for a few more months. However, according to Monaco's manager Sebastien Pocognoli, Pogba is recovering and could make his debut for Monaco, and return to football after two years, "in the coming weeks".
However, he sets the expectation for the player: "We have to judge him on the player he is now. The Paul of Manchester United or his first era at Juventus, and this is true for any player, that was a few years ago. Every player evolves; we'll have to judge him on what he is now, given his background and his age.
He still has the technique we know he has, and the pace of matches will give us some insight. His background is different from 10 years ago. It's up to me to stimulate his qualities and the potential he has right now. And I hope to get the most out of it."
In his career, Pogba helped Juventus win four league titles in a row, reach a Champions League final. With Manchester United, he won a Europa League. He was also in the squad that won World Cup 2018, but hasn't been called by France since 2022. Monaco currently sits second in Ligue 1, one point behind PSG.
