Tag: Paul Pogba

Pogba suspended after testing positive for testosterone

The Juventus midfielder could face a ban of up to four years

Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba has been provisionally suspended after testing positive for testosterone.

NADO Italia, the country’s anti-doping agency, announced on Monday that Pogba failed a random test following Juventus’s 3-0 win over Udinese on August 20.

“In acceptance of the instance proposed by the national anti-doping prosecutor, it has provided for the provisional suspension of the athlete Paul Labile Pogba,” a NADO Italia statement read.

The agency added that it found “non-endogenous testosterone metabolites” in Pogba’s test, a violation of anti-doping rules.

Pogba could be suspended between two and four years if found guilty.

Juventus confirmed the suspension in a statement, saying it “reserves the right to consider the next procedural steps.”

The suspension is the latest blow in what has been a difficult return to Juventus for Pogba, who rejoined his former club on a free transfer in the summer of 2022.

The 30-year-old’s first season was almost entirely ruined by injuries, which also forced him to miss the World Cup with France.

Pogba has made two appearances off the bench so far this season for Juventus. After an appearance against Empoli prior to the international break, Pogba felt pain in his back and his manager Max Allegri said he would have to undergo tests to determine the severity.

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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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Juventus drops Pogba for Freiburg Europa League clash

Pogba’s return to Juve continues to be a rough one

Paul Pogba’s return to Juventus has been rocky to say the least.

The latest chapter has seen Juve manager Massimiliano Allegri opting to drop the France midfielder for Thursday’s Europa League first leg against Freiburg.

Reports from Italy claim that Pogba was late for a team meeting, and Allegri has opted to leave him out of his gameday squad as Juve hosts the Europa League’s defending champions.

Given the status of Juventus’ 2022-23 season — they’ve been docked 15 points in Serie A due to transfer accounting discrepancies — the Europa League is a far more appealing path to any sort of glory this season. La Vecchia Signora is 12 points away from qualifying for the Champions League through the league, and seven points from claiming a Europa League spot.

As such, the decision to drop Pogba for possibly the most crucial game Juve has left this season will likely result in plenty of scrutiny, particularly if things go awry against Freiburg at the Allianz Stadium.

Pogba’s troubled Juve return

It’s not clear that Pogba would have been available to start if he had been included, as his return to Turin has been hit by near-constant injury problems.

Pogba signed a four-year deal with Juve in July, but has been trapped in a cruel cycle of injury setbacks dating back to the end of his time with Manchester United. Pogba missed the final weeks of the Premier League season with a calf strain, and then after joining Juventus, he suffered a meniscus injury in preseason training.

Pogba initially opted to avoid surgery that would have likely made a World Cup trip with France impossible, but ended up having to undergo the procedure anyway. It briefly appeared that things would work out, especially when the star midfielder returned to training in September. However, before he could build up enough fitness to play in any matches, a thigh muscle problem ended his World Cup hopes.

Pogba made his return to training in January, but the long layoff likely contributed to another muscular issue, and his first appearance in a match since returning to Juventus didn’t come until February 28’s 4-2 win over Torino.

Pogba followed that 22-minute substitute appearance with a 14-minute cameo in Juve’s 1-0 loss at Roma, and was likely to factor in against Freiburg in a similar role. It remains to be seen whether his absence will be felt against a team that, after conceding 11 times in two road matches in the Bundesliga last month, has shut their hosts out in three straight away fixtures.

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Paul Pogba played in a soccer game for the first time in almost a year

The midfielder has finally made his long-awaited second Juventus debut

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.

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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France star Pogba to miss World Cup after injury setback

Pogba joins N’Golo Kante as key players who won’t be part of the French title defense

France star Paul Pogba will miss the 2022 World Cup, his agent Rafaela Pimenta has confirmed.

Pogba looked set to win his fitness battle earlier this month when he returned to training with Juventus following surgery on his meniscus in September.

However, Pogba suffered another setback, as reports said the midfielder is now dealing with a strained muscle in his thigh.

“Following yesterday and today’s medical review in Turin and Pittsburgh, it is extremely painful to inform Paul Pogba will still need recovery time from his surgery,” Pimenta said in a statement.

“For this reason, Paul will not be able to join Juventus squad before the World Cup break nor the French national team in Qatar. If wishful thinking would change things, Paul would be playing tomorrow.

“But what changes things are hard work, resilience and discipline, all of which are the only things in Paul’s mind at these challenging times. Paul will continue working giving his very best to be back on the pitch for the fans and his team as soon as possible.”

The 29-year-old has still yet to make his second debut for Juventus after rejoining the Serie A club on a free transfer from Manchester United this summer.

The midfielder initially chose a non-surgical regimen to rehab his injury, but lasted through just two training sessions before it became clear his knee wasn’t quite right.

Pogba joins N’Golo Kanté as key midfielders in France’s 2018 World Cup title run that will miss out on the defense in Qatar. Kanté is out four months after a setback to his troublesome hamstring injury.

Another vital player for France, Raphaël Varane, is in a race against time to be fit for Qatar, as the Manchester United defender has already been ruled out for his club until after the World Cup.

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France gets extraordinarily mixed news, with Pogba training with Juve while Chelsea rules Kante out until February

Kante’s not going to Qatar, but Pogba has a real chance

With the World Cup looming in just a few weeks, France got some extremely mixed news on Tuesday regarding the status of two star midfielders.

On one hand, there’s the negative: Chelsea confirmed reports that N’Golo Kante will not be fit in time for the tournament, as the indefatigable midfielder underwent surgery for a hamstring issue.

“N’Golo Kante has undergone an operation on his hamstring injury,” read a club statement from Chelsea. “The midfielder visited a specialist with the club’s medical department to explore the options for his rehabilitation approach and it was mutually agreed for N’Golo to have surgery to repair the damage. Following a successful operation, N’Golo is now expected to be sidelined for four months.”

That timetable definitively rules Kante out of Qatar 2023, with a mid-February return for Chelsea more likely.

It’s not all bad for fans of Les Bleus, though. Paul Pogba joined Juventus’ training session for the first time since undergoing surgery on his meniscus in September.

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It’s a rapid turnaround after Juve boss Massimiliano Allegri had previously said the club didn’t expect Pogba to be ready to play until January. Pogba had initially chosen a non-surgical regimen to keep the World Cup door open, but lasted through just two training sessions before it became clear his knee wasn’t quite right.

There is an open question about exactly how soon Pogba will be able to play in a Juventus match, but simply being in training at this point already puts the 29-year-old well ahead of the game. Pogba likely has three weeks or so to prove himself fit enough for Didier Deschamps to call on him as part of France’s 26-man squad.

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That may be it for Paul Pogba’s World Cup hopes

The midfielder is undergoing surgery, and Juventus expects him back in January

Paul Pogba’s hopes of playing at the 2022 World Cup have been dealt a major blow as the France and Juventus midfielder will have to undergo surgery on his troublesome knee injury.

Pogba opted to pursue a conservative course of therapy on his meniscus injury last month, but that plan has not been successful and the France star will now be forced under the knife.

“This morning Pogba trained for the second time, but then stopped, and it was then decided that he undergo surgery,” said Juventus head coach Massimiliano Allegri at a press conference on Monday.

“We will realistically get him back in January.”

When asked if Pogba would be fit in time for the World Cup, Allegri responded: “The World Cup is not my problem, Juventus’ problem is that he comes back in January.”

Pogba has yet to make his second Juventus debut after returning to the club from Manchester United on a free transfer this summer. The 29-year-old picked up the knee injury in a preseason training session.

France will be aiming to retain its World Cup title this winter after winning the 2018 tournament. Pogba scored in a 4-2 final win against Croatia in Moscow.

On the bright side for France, a potential standoff between Pogba and Kylian Mbappé over an alleged witch doctor’s curse may no longer be an issue.

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France is really outdoing itself with this witch doctor scandal

Pogba. Mbappé. Gangsters. Extortion. A witch doctor. This one has it all

The France men’s national team and scandal go together like a baguette and Brie. If France were to go into a World Cup without some kind of controversy hanging over the team, it would almost be a scandal unto itself.

But Les Bleus have really outdone themselves with this latest affair, involving two of their best players, extortion, gangsters and, perhaps most importantly, an alleged witch doctor’s curse.

The details, honestly, are a bit unnecessary to understanding the sheer ridiculousness of this entire scandal. Let’s just read this tweet to get a feel for what we are dealing with here.

This is truly a work of art, each word more insane than the last.

To briefly summarize France’s latest national team scandal: Paul Pogba has claimed he is being threatened and targeted for extortion by gangsters, including his older brother Mathias, who are demanding €13 million in exchange for not releasing some compromising videos.

What, exactly, is on those videos? Well reader, that’s where we get to the witch doctor.

On Monday, night L’Equipe reported that there may indeed be video evidence of Pogba using a witch doctor to curse Mbappé. France coach Didier Deschamps and federation president Noël Le Graët have apparently been aware of the issue since March, when Pogba informed them of the extortion attempt.

Mbappé, understandably, would reportedly be a bit dismayed to see his teammate, and fellow 2018 World Cup winner, using dark magic to put a curse on him.

L’Equipe said Pogba hasn’t yet called Mbappé to provide his version of events. There also is the question of why one of France’s stars would want to curse another one of its stars just before a World Cup (or, you know, ever).

The World Cup is still a few months away, so there really is no telling where this scandal will be by the time the tournament starts. The encouraging news for anybody not hoping to see France repeat as champions, though, is that it seems to only be getting started.

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Paul Pogba takes a risk on his knee injury in attempt to save World Cup hopes

The midfielder will aim for a five-week course of rehab instead of going under the knife

Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba has opted against having surgery for a tear in his meniscus in an attempt to keep his World Cup hopes alive, according to multiple reports.

Pogba suffered the injury in training during Juve’s tour of the United States. After consulting with a specialist in France, the midfielder has opted for a five-week rehab program involving training in the gym and swimming pool, according to Tuttosport.

The 29-year-old had the option to fix the problem through surgery, but that could have jeopardized his availability for the World Cup. Pogba is hoping to play a key role for France like he did in 2018 when Les Bleus won the tournament.

There are, of course, risks involved in Pogba’s choice to not undergo surgery and comprehensively fix the knee issue. The midfielder has struggled with injuries in recent seasons and failing to fully deal with his latest issue will make it more likely to come up again in the future.

For Juventus, it’s an inauspicious start to Pogba’s celebrated return from Manchester United, with the midfielder coming back to the club where he starred between 2012 and 2016.

France, at least for the time being, can breathe a sigh of relief that its star midfielder won’t undergo an operation that would see him likely miss the World Cup.

But all parties will be holding their collective breath that Pogba’s latest injury setback won’t be a sign of things to come.

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Paul Pogba leaves Manchester United and signs for Juventus (again)

For a second time, the France star has left Old Trafford on a free and signed with Juve

For the second time, Paul Pogba has joined Juventus after leaving Manchester United on a free transfer.

Pogba left United in 2012 in search of more senior minutes and proceeded to develop into a star with Juventus. The France international returned to United in 2016 as the Red Devils forked out £89 million and made Pogba the world’s most expensive player at the time.

But, as Juventus said in its announcement confirming Pogba’s return: “Although we parted ways, we never really forgot about each other, and there is something ancestral in the call that after a thousand adventures eventually leads you back home.”

Pogba is now back home after leaving Manchester United following the expiration of his contract.

The 29-year-old has signed a four-year contract according to multiple reports and will wear the No. 10 in Turin as he did during his first spell.

Pogba failed to live up to expectations at Old Trafford, as he was sporadically brilliant but often suffered through injuries or indifferent form.

He’ll hope to return to his best in Turin as he aims to bring Juventus back to the top of Serie A and also looks to help France win a second consecutive World Cup later this year.

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