Paul Pogba’s snakebitten season had a fitting ending

Next year can’t really go any worse for the French superstar

Paul Pogba’s Juventus return has been a nightmare for all parties.

That was already true before Sunday, when Pogba made his first start in more than a year and it was especially true after Sunday, when Pogba exited said start in tears with a likely season-ending injury.

Just over 20 minutes into Juve’s match against Cremonese, Pogba suffered a muscle injury that saw him eventually limp off the field. The France star buried his head in his jersey as he was consoled by teammates on his way off.

On Monday, Juventus released a statement saying Pogba has been diagnosed with a low-grade lesion of the rectus femoris muscle in his left thigh. Though the club did not provide a timeframe for the 30-year-old’s return, the latest setback likely spells the end of his season with Juve’s last game less then three weeks away.

A nightmare return

Pogba signed as a free agent from Manchester United in the offseason, inking a four-year deal with the club he starred for between 2012 and 2016.

But the France international’s return has been marred by near-constant injuries issues. Pogba was forced to miss the World Cup and has been limited to just 10 total appearances for Juventus.

After making his season debut in March, the midfielder even had time to get dropped from a Europa League match for disciplinary reasons. Pogba’s various issues have led to reports that Juventus is looking for a way out of the Frenchman’s contract.

Here’s hoping 2023-24 goes a little better for Pogba. At least it can’t really go much worse.

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