Pogba Faces New Setback as Monaco Worries Grow

The scene at St George’s Park turned abruptly from routine to alarming. In the middle of a simple passing drill, Paul Pogba let out a cry, crumpled to the turf and stayed down. Training stopped. Concern spread quickly.

Medical staff rushed over and, moments later, two members of AS Monaco’s backroom team were helping the 2018 World Cup winner off the pitch. Team-mates watched on, visibly shaken, as another chapter in Pogba’s troubled spell with the club took a darker turn.

This was supposed to be the week things started to feel normal again.

After a long stretch ruined by recurring physical problems, the 33-year-old had only just rejoined full group sessions. His pre-season minutes so far had been limited to a brief appearance, but there was at least a sense of progress: boots on, bib on, back with the squad.

Head coach Filipe Luís had recently allowed himself a measure of optimism, speaking about reintegrating the experienced midfielder and finally giving Monaco the version of Pogba they thought they were signing. That plan now hangs in the balance.

The timing could hardly be worse.

Monaco are deep into their pre-season camp, sharpening details and finalising decisions before the new Ligue 1 campaign. Inside the club, these weeks had been earmarked as decisive for Pogba’s long-term future. How his body responded to the workload would shape whether he remained central to the project or slipped towards the margins.

Instead, the club is back in familiar territory: waiting.

Medical scans will determine the extent of the damage and how long he will be out. Until those results land, there is only anxiety – for the player, who once again sees the road to full fitness lengthen, and for a coaching staff forced to redraw their midfield plans on the fly.

For Monaco, the issue is no longer just about star power or reputation. It is about reliability. Pogba’s physical condition has become a persistent concern, a variable they can’t control at a time when stability in the middle of the pitch is vital.

In the short term, the coaching staff must plan without one of their most high-profile names. Midfield depth, already a talking point, now becomes a central theme of their early-season strategy. Combinations will be tested, roles shuffled, minutes redistributed while Pogba begins yet another rehabilitation process.

The question is whether this latest breakdown proves to be a brief scare or the start of another long absence. Monaco will only know once the medical reports arrive.

For Pogba, back on the treatment table when he was finally edging towards the pitch again, it feels like another cruel twist in a career that refuses to follow a smooth line.