Paul Pogba may bit return to full till January due to a knee injury which requires surgery, casting doubts on his availability for the 2022 FIFA world cup, manager Massimiliano Allegri said on Monday.
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.
“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.