Paul Pogba’s Monaco comeback halted by fresh thigh problem

Paul Pogba’s preparations for the new season have been disrupted after the Monaco midfielder felt pain in his left thigh during training in England.

The 33-year-old France international was taking part in a small-sided game when he was forced to stop and did not complete the session, according to Spanish newspaper AS. The problem comes after Pogba had played only 45 minutes during Monaco’s pre-season preparations.

Pogba had only returned to first-team training at the end of last week, making the latest setback particularly damaging as he attempts to re-establish himself at the French club. His fitness was already a concern after a campaign in which he made just six appearances for Monaco and missed a significant part of the season because of a series of injuries.

Monaco’s general manager Thiago Scuro had previously indicated that pre-season would provide an opportunity to assess Pogba’s physical condition, which remained uncertain after the festive period. The latest issue means the club will again have to monitor his recovery before determining when he can resume full training.

Pogba’s future has become increasingly unclear during a difficult period in his career. The former Manchester United and Juventus midfielder reached the peak of his achievements with France at the 2018 World Cup, where he was an important member of the team that won the tournament.

His career declined significantly after that success. Pogba remained at Manchester United until the end of the 2021-22 season before returning to Juventus on a free transfer.

However, his second spell in Italy did not develop as expected. In August 2022, his brother Matthias Pogba claimed that Paul had hired a witch doctor to harm France team-mate Kylian Mbappe.

Two years later, Matthias Pogba was sentenced to one year in prison for attempting to blackmail his brother.

Paul Pogba was also suspended for four years in 2024 after being found to have committed a doping offence. The length of that ban was subsequently reduced, allowing him to return to football in 2025.

Since then, injuries have limited his ability to build momentum. His latest thigh problem comes at a stage when he is trying to make a sustained return to competitive football with Monaco, but the extent of the injury has not yet been established.

The midfielder’s immediate priority will be to discover whether the pain is a minor issue or another absence likely to affect the club’s plans for the new campaign. With only a short period of preparation completed and his previous season already heavily interrupted, the setback leaves Pogba’s involvement at the start of the season uncertain.