After 2 years! Pogba set to make his Monaco debut this weekend

Paul Pogba is reportedly on the verge of making his long-anticipated return to professional football this weekend, more than two years after a doping ban derailed his career.

The 32-year-old midfielder had been expected to make his AS Monaco debut last month, but a series of setbacks pushed his comeback further away.

A late muscle injury first forced him out, and an ankle problem picked up in training ruled him out of Monaco’s clash with Paris FC earlier this month.

However, according to L’Equipe, the World Cup winner is now expected to be included in Monaco’s squad for their Ligue 1 fixture against Rennes on Saturday.

Should he feature, it would mark Pogba’s first competitive appearance in over two and a half years. His last match came for Juventus against Empoli in Serie A.

Despite the encouraging news, Monaco manager Sebastien Pocognoli is taking a cautious approach after previous disappointments.

“My communication will remain down-to-earth, like our internal analysis,” Pocognoli told AFP.

He added, “I said we’ll judge him based on what he offers. That’s also out of kindness. I hope he is close to playing.”

The Monaco boss emphasised that he does not want to rush declarations after past false starts.

He continued, “The last time I said that... so I’m trying not to get ahead of myself. It will happen when it's meant to happen. All I can say is that when he’s on the pitch, I see someone who is happy and focused on getting back to the top level.”

Pogba’s long hiatus followed an initial four-year doping ban handed down in September 2023, a period he described as “hell.”

The sanction led to Juventus terminating his £200,000-per-week contract. The ban was later reduced to 18 months.

After the reduction, Pogba made a surprise return by signing a two-year deal with AS Monaco in June.