Paul Pogba’s second Juventus debut was a long time in the making.
Pogba returned to Juventus last summer, signing as a free agent after several years with Manchester United. It was something of a dream return for the France midfielder, but it quickly turned sour.
The 29-year-old suffered a meniscus injury before the season started and amid a series of setbacks, was forced to miss the World Cup with France.
As the calendar turned to 2023 and Pogba was nowhere near the field, there were even reports that Juventus was looking for a way to terminate the midfielder’s deal — rumors the club was forced to publicly deny.
So it’s safe to say that it was a relief for all parties involved when, on Wednesday, Pogba came off the bench in the second half of a 4-2 derby victory against Torino.
It was Pogba’s first appearance since playing for Man Utd against Liverpool on April 19, 2022.
All smiles for tonight, so happy to be back. Thank you for the warm welcome🤍🖤🤲 pic.twitter.com/NioVIZQV9L
— Paul Pogba (@paulpogba) February 28, 2023
Juventus will understandably be cautious with Pogba, but the club will have a busy run of fixtures ahead as it is still alive in the Coppa Italia and the Europa League.
“It had been a long time since we wanted Pogba back with us and we are happy. With a game every three days, we need everyone available,” coach Massimiliano Allegri said in his post-match interview with DAZN.
With the win over Torino in the “Derby della Mole,” Juventus moved into seventh place, 10 points behind Lazio for the fourth and final Champions League spot.
The club is looking to climb out of a hole after it was hit with a 15-point penalty in January for false accounting.
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