Paul Pogba Set to Make Comeback from Doping Ban
Monaco midfielder Paul Pogba is poised to make his long-awaited return from a doping ban this weekend.
The 32-year-old player joined the Ligue 1 club last summer after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) reduced his four-year doping ban to 19 months.
Pogba's last competitive match took place in September 2023, when he played for Juventus in a Serie A game against Empoli.
Having had time to regain his fitness in Monaco, Pogba was initially set to be included in the squad for the match against Lens on November 8, but an ankle injury delayed his debut.
Now, he is expected to be named in Monaco's squad for the upcoming match against Rennes on Saturday.
Pogba received a provisional four-year ban from football after testing positive for dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) in February 2024, following a doping test conducted in August 2023.
He has consistently maintained that the positive test was a mistake, claiming he was given a supplement without knowledge of its banned ingredients.
The former World Cup winner was allowed to return to football in March after the reduction of his ban.
If Pogba makes his debut for Monaco against Rennes, it will mark his first appearance in Ligue 1.
Though he developed his skills at Le Havre, Pogba joined Manchester United before making his senior debut.
He transferred to Juventus on a free transfer in 2012, returning to Manchester United four years later for a then-world record fee of £89 million.
After his six-year contract with United ended in 2022, Pogba rejoined Juventus but made only 12 appearances before mutually terminating his contract.
Pogba famously scored in the final as France triumphed over Croatia 4-2 in the 2018 World Cup.