KEY POINTS
- Paul Pogba joined Juventus on a free transfer in 2022
- It is Pogba’s second stint at Juventus
- Pogba is yet to play for Juventus this season
Paul Pogba’s maiden appearance for Juventus in his second stint with the Serie A club has been further delayed.
Pogba parted ways with Manchester United in the summer of 2022 and returned to Juventus as a free agent. However, the French midfielder is yet to make his first appearance in the 2022-23 campaign. Pogba has suffered an injury for the fourth time this season and his return date is not known yet, Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri has confirmed.
In a pre-match conference ahead of Juventus’ Coppa Italia meeting with Lazio, Allegri reportedly said, “Apart from the long-term absentee Bonucci, Pogba will not be there due to soreness in his flexors. [Dusan] Vlahovic? He should play from the start.”
Soon after Pogba moved to Italy for the 2022-23 campaign, he sustained a meniscal injury that saw him miss seven games. A thigh muscle strain forced Pogba to miss seven more matches. The former Manchester United midfielder also underwent knee surgery which ruled him out of the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar and he missed around 21 fixtures of Juventus.
While Pogba has since returned to training, the France midfielder is still not ready to be involved in a match. Pogba will miss Juventus’ Serie A clash with Salernitana on Feb. 8, as reported by Goal.
Pogba’s first stint with Juventus lasted four seasons before he moved to Old Trafford in the summer of 2016. The French midfielder came into the limelight in Italy as he finished his Juventus career with 34 goals in 178 matches in all competitions.
Earlier in the 2022-23 Serie A campaign, Juventus was deducted 15 points for inflating player transfer values, sinking the club in dismay. The former champions are placed 13th in the league table with 23 points after 23 matches.
It has also been reported that the latest controversy has had a massive hit at the club as several players now want to leave the Allianz side, including center-forward Dusan Vlahovic. Some of the top European clubs such as Real Madrid and Manchester United are chasing Vlahovic ahead of the 2023 summer window.
