Things have gone from bad to worse for France midfielder Paul Pogba, who has officially joined a long list of players who will miss the 2022 FIFA World Cup through injury.
Pogba's Agent Makes Admission About His Time At Man Utd
On Monday, the 29-year-old midfielder's agent Rafaela Pimenta publicly declared the Juventus player unavailable for the world champions after he suffered yet another injury setback on his road to recovery.
Paul Pogba will miss the Qatar 2022 World Cup due to new injury, confirmed by his agent Rafaela Pimenta. ?????? #Pogba Pogba has not played one single official game with Juventus since he signed the contract last July. pic.twitter.com/nn13g6xGIX
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) October 31, 2022
Pogba has not played a single minute of football this season in Italy since his return to the Bianconeri, but had ambitions of still making it back in time to help France defend their crown in Qatar.
The ex-Manchester United star picked up a knee injury in pre-season with Juve and had been working hard in training before his latest thigh problem, which will rule him out of the tournament.
Pogba joins compatriot N'Golo Kante on the sidelines, with the Chelsea defensive midfielder set to miss four months of football due to a hamstring injury that has seen him make just two appearances in this campaign.
Kante's club colleague Reece James is also expected to miss the tournament due to a knee injury, while Liverpool forward Diogo Jota will not be available for selection for Portugal after suffering a calf injury in a recent win over Manchester City.
His countryman Pedro Neto will also miss the World Cup after it was decided that the Wolverhampton Wanderers winger would need to undergo surgery for his latest ankle injury.
More concerns for France
Ahead of the World Cup later this month, there are more fitness worries for the champions, whose star forward Karim Benzema has experienced muscle problems of late that could see him go into the tournament far from his best.
The 2022 Ballon d'Or winner has already missed nine matches for Real Madrid across all competitions this season, while his club and country teammate Aurelien Tchouameni has also recently been out injured.
Veteran centre-back Raphael Varane is likely to miss France's first match in Qatar, meanwhile, after he sustained a hamstring injury in United's recent 1-1 draw with Premier League rivals Chelsea in the Premier League.
Brazilian FA 'Annoyed' With Neymar
While the injury appeared worse than first feared, manager Didier Deschamps could be concerned that his 87-time capped centre-back is unlikely to go into the competition at his fittest.
You must be SIGNED IN to read and post comments
WATCH VIDEO:
