Paul Pogba's future at Monaco in doubt following injury-hit season
After a season marred by injuries, doubts are growing within Monaco regarding Paul Pogba's ability to return to top form, despite continued support from the club's president.
Paul Pogba à l'échauffement avant le match Monaco-Lille (0-1), le 10 mai en Ligue 1. (Jean-Baptiste Autissier/L'Équipe)
Paul Pogba's arrival at Monaco a year ago was met with a mix of excitement and skepticism. The 33-year-old midfielder aimed to revitalize his career after a long hiatus from professional football, but his first season in the Principality was severely disrupted by persistent injury issues.
The Frenchman made only six competitive appearances, totaling just 115 minutes on the pitch—representing a mere 4% of Monaco's total playing time in Ligue 1. Despite the efforts of the club's performance department under Vadim Khetagov, recurring ankle and calf injuries prevented him from finding any rhythm.
Concerns are mounting within the club. Sources suggest that the physical preparation program may have been too light, failing to meet the high demands of top-level European football. His first start against Metz in May served as a test of his readiness, but the performance reinforced doubts about whether he can handle the intensity of the French league.
While skepticism is widespread among staff, club president Dimitri Rybolovlev is said to still believe in the player he helped recruit. The club plans to assess Pogba's physical data this summer to determine how new head coach Filipe Luis might utilize him moving forward.
It was a gamble and it's not lost because it's over two seasons. Towards the end of the season, I can tell you that in training, it was starting to get better. But if you expect to have the Paul Pogba of 2018, it's going to be complicated. Damien Perrinelle