AS Monaco’s pursuit of a Champions League berth for next season may see a significant boost with the return of midfielder Paul Pogba.
The ex-France international has recently resumed light training following a lengthy injury recovery associated with a persistent left calf issue. Notably, he found the net in a friendly match against Brentford, a team from the Premier League, on Thursday.
Pogba, a 2018 World Cup winner, signed a two-year contract with Monaco last summer but has only taken the field for roughly 30 minutes since his debut at the end of November.
Currently, Monaco is positioned sixth in Ligue 1, with only seven games left in the season. The top three teams secure automatic qualification for the upcoming Champions League, while the fourth-placed team enters a qualifying round.
Under the guidance of coach Sébastien Pocognoli, Monaco has experienced a revival, securing six consecutive victories and now trail third-place Marseille by just three points. Monaco will host Marseille on April 5, following the international break, and sources indicate that Pogba could feature in that match or the subsequent fixture against Paris FC on April 10.
Pogba, who scored during France’s World Cup final victory over Croatia eight years ago, was once regarded as one of the top midfielders globally.
Since joining Monaco, he has faced thigh and ankle injuries, having already spent over two years dealing with a series of injuries, personal issues, and a doping suspension.
In February, Monaco omitted Pogba from their Champions League squad to include new signings for a playoff tie against Paris Saint-Germain.
Unfortunately, PSG eliminated Monaco with a hard-fought 5-4 aggregate win in that round.
Pogba has previously played for Juventus and Manchester United.
In 2016, he made headlines by becoming the most expensive soccer player at the time when he returned to United from Juventus for a fee of 105 million euros (approximately $116 million).
This report includes information from The Associated Press, with contributions from ESPN writer Julien Laurens.