Paul Pogba has been forced to wait even longer to make his first appearance for Juventus this season after suffering a setback on his return from injury.
The midfielder re-joined Juventus as a free agent on a four-year contract in July after his Manchester United deal expired at the end of June. Pogba was hoping to hit the ground running back at the club he played for between 2012 and 2016, but he has spent the entire campaign so far on the sidelines.
The 29-year-old suffered a serious knee injury in pre-season which required surgery and forced him to miss the World Cup with France. He recently returned to Juventus training and was eyeing his second debut for the Old Lady after being included in their squad for the Europa League, only for a niggle to rule him out.
Speaking ahead of Juventus’ Coppa Italia quarter-final against Lazio on Thursday, manager Massimiliano Allegri gave an update on Pogba’s condition. He said: “I will decide the line-up tomorrow. Aside from [Leonardo] Bonucci, the only other player not available is Pogba who had a flexor problem.
“[Dusan] Vlahovic will surely start, I have to decide on the others. The game could last 120 minutes, so substitutions will be important. I will decide the line-up after tomorrow’s training.”
When he shakes off the flexor problem, Allegri will proceed with caution with Pogba, who has not played any match since participating in a friendly win over Mexican side Guadalajara in Nevada in pre-season.
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He added: “Many players have been dealing with long-term injuries. [Federico] Chiesa was out for 10 months, and Pogba hasn’t played since April. It takes a while to get back in shape. As happened with Chiesa who had to stop and start again.
“It takes time for Pogba, nobody can work miracles. His body must adapt. We must use him wisely and in the right moment when he will be fit.”
The setback is another cruel blow for Pogba, who moved back to Turin aiming to reignite his career. He won the Scudetto in every season In his first spell at Juve, as well as two Coppa Italia trophies, and felt ready to play a huge part this season.
"I want to rediscover my joy of playing football," he said upon his return. "My heart decided for me and I am sure that I made the right decision, this jersey is everything for me. I feel great, it's an atmosphere I cannot define. Juventus gave me the opportunity to be Pogba. Now I want to give back that joy, bringing trophies to a club that deserves only to win."
With Pogba on the sidelines, Juventus are enduring a miserable season. Allegri’s side are 13th in Serie A following a 15-point deduction for alleged financial irregularities and false accounting in relation to historic transfer dealings. They are also preparing to enter the Europa League after crashing out of the Champions League.
