Paul Pogba's comeback from a doping ban has been underwhelming, but Monaco's medical struggles may be partly to blame. The 33-year-old midfielder joined Monaco on a two-year deal after serving a suspension for testing positive for non-endogenous testosterone, a charge he denies.
Injury-Plagued Return
Pogba has managed just 57 minutes across five appearances this season due to persistent calf problems. His return was highly anticipated, but injuries have limited his impact. Ligue 1 journalist Luke Entwistle revealed that Monaco's medical department has been in chaos, with head doctor Yann Le Meur losing his job and other senior staff departing.
Medical Department Shambles
Entwistle told the Manchester Evening News: "It's come within the context of an awful season within the medical department. They've decided to get an injury-prone player that they need to get back to full fitness in a year where their medical record has been atrocious, with lots of muscular injuries." CEO Thiago Scuro fast-tracked an audit of the medical department, originally planned for the summer.
Scuro admitted Pogba was "disturbed" by his calf injury and that the plan for him "is not working the way we expected." Monaco are also dealing with ACL tears for Takumi Minamino and Mohammed Salisu, plus other knee and hamstring issues.
Historical Injury Problems
Pogba missed 112 matches during his second stint at Manchester United, averaging nearly 20 per season. Despite his high wages of around £45,000 per week, fans remain supportive. However, Entwistle noted: "There are things happening in the medical department that are a little bit worrying... it looks like he's just not fully there still."
Pogba's latest outing was a six-minute cameo in a 2-2 draw with Toulouse, where Monaco surrendered a lead. With 12 months left on his deal, there is hope he can regain fitness, but the combination of his injury history and Monaco's medical issues has created a difficult situation.
