Paul Pogba may not return to action until January due to a knee injury which requires surgery, Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri said on Monday, casting doubts over the France midfielder’s availability for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Pogba decided to forgoe surgery after damaging his meniscus in training following his move back to Juventus from Manchester United in this summer, but Allegri said circumstances had changed after he attempted to return to training.
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“This morning he trained for the second time but then stopped and it was then decided that he undergo surgery. We will realistically get him back in January,” Allegri told reporters before Tuesday’s Champions League clash at Paris Saint-Germain.
Allegri was unsure if Pogba would be ready for France’s World Cup defence, which begins in November, adding: “The World Cup is not my problem, Juventus’ problem is that he comes back in January.”
Pogba was instrumental in France’s World Cup victory in 2018 in Russia, scoring in the final where they beat Croatia 4-2. He has scored 11 goals in 91 appearances for France.
Juventus and PSG are in Champions League Group H with Benfica and Maccabi Haifa. Allegri said his side would need at least 10 points to qualify for the knockout stages, adding that PSG are one of the title favourites.
“We face an opponent who is among the strongest in Europe, who this year I count as a favourite for the final,” Allegri said. “Tomorrow will be a good match, and we will certainly aim to play a great game from a technical point of view.”