Paul Pogba has issued a rousing message to his France teammates as they gun for a second consecutive World Cup final.
Didier Deschamps' side take on Morocco in the second semi-final on Wednesday evening having overcome England 2-1 in the previous round. France’s progression is a remarkable achievement considering the injury concerns that they have had to contend with.
The likes of Karim Benzema and Christopher Nkunku were forced to pull out of Les Bleus’ squad just days before the start of the tournament. Another of the players who missed out was Pogba after the former Manchester United midfielder was immediately hit with injury upon his return to Juventus last summer.
He tore his meniscus in pre-season and underwent surgery which ruled him out of the tournament. Regardless of that considerable personal blow, the 2018 World Cup winner has sent a message to his international teammates over in Qatar ahead of their semi-final showdown with Morocco.
Speaking in a video message, the 29-year-old said: “Together! I am with you. I give you all my strength. All my strength has this group there. That's my band, that's my guys.”
Olivier Giroud, one of the stars of the tournament so far, suggested how much of a miss Pogba would be in Qatar but reaffirmed his commitment to lead France to further glory. Speaking ahead of the World Cup, the four-goal forward said: "We will miss Paul Pogba a lot, like [N'Golo] Kante and [Presnel] Kimpembe.
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"Paul takes up a lot of space in this France team with his personality, but I am convinced that there are other young leaders who can emerge. I too will play my role of big brother for the youngest, be available for them, and speak up when necessary."
It remains quite to be seen when Pogba will make his return to action having not yet made his second debut for Juventus following his return from Old Trafford. The Old Lady get their season back underway on January 4 against Serie A strugglers Cremonese.
The Frenchman’s agent, Rafaela Pimenta, has already confirmed that despite the disappointment of missing the World Cup, Pogba is fully focused on his recovery.
“Pogba suffers for not being at the World Cup, but he knows that at the end of the day, he has to wake up and continue recovering. He wants to play to give Juventus what they deserve,” she said.
Should France act on Pogba’s rousing message and overcome Morocco, they will take on either Croatia or Argentina in the final. If the former progress, it would be a repeat of the showpiece from four-and-a-half years ago. Deschamps’ troops could then potentially become the first side to successfully defend the World Cup since Brazil in 1962.
