It was not so long ago that Paul Pogba had the footballing world at his dazzling feet. However, persistent injuries and subsequent poor form have seen the midfielder slip out of football fans’ top-tier lists.
Once considered the future of football, Pogba’s career is in a tailspin, nevertheless, there have been bigger setbacks in the beautiful game in recent times, just look at Ivan Toney’s current ban for online poker and other betting activities, so it’s fair to say there can always be a way back for the Frenchman.
In this article, we will explore the issues Pogba has faced in recent years from persistent injuries to World Cup woes and where we think Pogba will end up next, it’s fair to say that the Frenchman has endured a lot.
Injury Issues
First and foremost, before we get into the dark stuff surrounding Pogba at the moment, it’s pretty clear that incessant injuries haven’t helped the midfielder in recent years.
It’s hard to remember a time when Pogba was fully fit and firing on all cylinders and the once physically dominating maestro has become a bit of a walking disaster.
Pogba rejoined Juventus on July 11 2022, two weeks later he suffered another injury setback after breaking down in a training session during a preseason match in Dallas.
The Frenchman opted to avoid surgery for the knee injury he suffered, a decision that would backfire massively and rile up Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri.
World Cup Heartache
Pogba eventually came around to the idea of going under the knife, something which was meant to keep him out of action for a further eight weeks.
However, in the midst of his awful bad luck, Pogba was struck down with a thigh injury just after resuming athletic work in the hopes of a World Cup comeback.
Unfortunately for Pogba, this was the final nail in the coffin for the Frenchmans World Cup ambitions and he was unable to join the squad in Qatar, a tournament they reached the final of.
It’s now unlikely that Pogba will ever feature in a World Cup again, nevertheless, he can always hold onto the 2018 winners medal he achieved with France back in 2018.
More Setbacks
During the World Cup, Pogba spent much of his time recovering in Milan following a specialised recovery programme in the hopes of making an emphatic return to Juventus.
Pogba made his comeback on 10 January and scored twice for Juventus’ reserves during a behind-closed-doors friendly. Juve boss Allegri announced that Pogba was yet again available for selection on 28 January but his swansong return was far from ideal.
The following day during a Serie A clash with Monza, Pogba spent the entire game on the bench in a clear showing of Allgeri’s thoughts and feelings towards the midfielder.
Allegri Irritated
In press conferences Allegri was supportive of Pogba’s injury woes, however, the constant questions from the media and speculation of why he wasn’t playing was clearly irritating the Italian tactician.
Juventus fans were also starting to turn on the Frenchman with many thinking that the midfielder could be doing more in his off-field activities to ensure a positive and good run back in the starting XI.
Pogba never did get that string of starts in the team during the second half of the season and only featured six times for Juve, as a substitute on each occasion.
Always an uphill race?
It begs the question, was Pogba’s return to become a superstar once again at Juventus always going to be an uphill race? Despite fan’s glee with the return of the Frenchman, things now have certainly turned sour.
It’s fair to say, there doesn’t seem to be much of a future for him in Turin, the team need youngsters in their starting XI and squad moving forward to compete for the Serie A title and it seems that Pogba’s injuries may have finally gotten the better of him.
As long as Allegri is at the helm at Juve too, this adds even more doubt into whether Pogba could squeeze himself back into action if he was fit and firing once again.
However, one thing Juventus fans can all agree on is that it hasn’t been a pleasant time for Pogba in recent years and adding that to his extensive list of injuries has to be tough, no matter who you are.
Sometimes you have to remember that footballers are humans too, they face the same everyday problems as us mere mortals do, and despite their hefty pay packets, deserve some sympathy and respect.
Where Next?
Pogba needs a reset and rest, physically and mentally before even thinking about returning to the pitch, every fan of the beautiful game would love to see Pogba back in action in some way or form but right now that just doesn’t seem like the right move for the Frenchman.
With big-money moves to the Saudi Pro League becoming the norm for footballers in the twilight of their careers, it could be pretty easy to see Pogba making the switch to Saudi Arabia from Juventus at some point soon.
Perhaps, Juve could even bargain a decent fee for the maestro from Saudi Arabia too, making it a solid move for all the parties involved. After all, Pogba is still one of the most recognisable faces in the modern game and his star power is still well received globally, something Juventus could use to their advantage at the negotiations table.
It would be great to see Pogba back flying in Serie A, but that seems like a bit of a fever dream right now for even the most optimistic of fans. Right now, it’s unclear just where Pogba will end up next, however, he’s a World Cup-winning midfielder for a reason and talent like that simply doesn’t disappear overnight.
Here’s to hoping Pogba can make one final good go of it before calling the curtains on a glittering career, it’s been a unfair few years but there is always a chance at redemption.
