France Could Be Without Paul Pogba At FIFA World Cup; Here’s Why

France midfielder Paul Pogba could reportedly miss the upcoming FIFA World Cup.

Pogba underwent knee surgery Monday after picking up an injury in July during Juventus’ pre-season, according to an official release from the Serie A club.

“This evening, Paul Pogba underwent selective external arthroscopic meniscectomy. The surgery, performed by Prof. Roberto Rossi in the presence of the Juventus Team Doctor, Luca Stefanini was a complete success,” the release read.

The French star decided to go under the knife after his meniscus injury failed to respond to treatment. Pogba, who has not played this season for Juventus, is expected to be out of action for 40 to 60 days, according to Goal.com.

France are set to begin their World Cup campaign on Nov. 22 when they take on Australia. Pogba scored in France’s 4-2 win over Croatia in the World Cup final in 2018, which was the French side’s second FIFA World Cup title.

The Serie A season will pause after Nov. 13 and restart again in January. Juventus are currently placed seventh in the 2022-23 Serie A table with two wins and three draws in five league games.

In a pre-match conference ahead of Juventus’ UEFA Champions League fixture, reporters asked Turin boss Massimiliano Allegri if Pogba would be ready in time for France’s World Cup campaign and Allegri replied, “We will realistically get him back in January. The World Cup is not my problem; Juventus’ problem is that he comes back in January.”

Juventus are scheduled to travel to Paris to face off against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in the Champions League game at Parc des Prices on Tuesday.

Pogba returned to the Turin club as a free agent after he parted ways with Manchester United in the 2022 summer.

The French midfielder first joined Juventus in 2012 and ended up spending four seasons in Italy before Manchester United re-signed him in 2016 at a then-record transfer fee of $105 million.

Pogba, who has been a part of the French national soccer side, has scored 11 goals for them in 91 appearances.