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Monaco head coach Sebastien Pocognoli has confirmed Paul Pogba will have to wait even longer to make his Monaco debut. Pogba, 32, penned a two-year deal with the Ligue 1 club this summer following seven-and-a-half months without a team. The former Manchester United midfielder departed Juventus in mid-November after mutually agreeing to terminate his contract in Turin. That move came six weeks before Pogba could return to training following his doping suspension, which Pogba claims was because of a prescribed nutritional supplement. His four-year ban began in September 2023, but after an appeal, Pogba had it halved to 18 months. He has been cleared to play since March. Monaco placed the player on a three-month fitness programme to get him back to full sharpness. A comeback to the matchday squad was due to happen in October. There were expectations that Monaco would have him available for their first fixture following the international break. That did not happen, though, as an injury delayed that comeback by a further two weeks. Pocognoli had hinted it might happen this weekend against Paris FC . "It is possible that he will be in the squad, yes," the Monaco head coach said. "Paul still has a training session on Thursday, and if he is feeling good, we could see him again. And he would be within the process that we fixed." Nevertheless, the midfielder is not in good shape after that session, having sustained an ankle injury. "We are awaiting confirmation of the severity of the injury," Pocognoli said. "The idea is that he can be available after the international break; that is the plan that we are following. We are all disappointed." Monaco's first fixture following their fortnight off sees them travel to Stade Rennais . They then face Pafos in the Champions League before hosting Paris Saint-Germain to complete a three-game week. Join our new MAN UTD WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Manchester United content from Mirror Football. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
