Pogba set for long-awaited comeback as Ligue 1 returns
Paul Pogba looks set to stage his much-anticipated comeback after more than two years away from competitive play when Monaco head to Rennes this Saturday in Ligue 1.
The 2018 World Cup champion has featured in just 12 games over the past three seasons, hampered by injuries, a doping ban and an extortion scheme where he was the target.
Pogba tested positive for a banned substance in August 2023 following a Juventus fixture and received a four-year suspension, later cut down to 18 months.
Still, the Serie A club ended his deal in November, cutting short a troubled second spell in Italy marred by fitness issues and off-field troubles.
In 2024, his sibling Mathias received a three-year jail term, with two years on hold, for involvement in an attempt to blackmail Pogba out of 13 million euros (about 15.3 million dollars) back in 2022.
Yet, an opportunity to revive his fortunes arrived for the 32-year-old via Ligue 1 outfit Monaco, who chose to bet on him after his ban lifted in March.
The highly skilled playmaker joined the Monegasque team during the summer window, though he was held back at first to follow a tailored fitness programme aimed at restoring his condition for top-level matches.
Pogba's debut has been postponed twice this season due to minor injuries sustained in autumn, but having secured four Serie A crowns with Juventus and the 2017 Europa League with Manchester United, he is poised to compete in French club football for the first time professionally.
He is unlikely to feature from the outset at Roazhon Park versus Rennes as Ligue 1 resumes post-internationals, with Sebastien Pocognoli possibly introducing the former star in the closing stages while sixth-placed Monaco eases him back gradually.
Even so, attention will focus on Pogba to check if his unique talent for delivering visionary passes that others could barely conceive remains intact.
Pogba has expressed his ambition to rejoin the France squad before the 2026 World Cup, though it remains to be seen if his physique can endure the rigours of contemporary football through the campaign.
"Every French footballer aspires to play for the national side, but steps come first," Pogba noted after penning his Monaco contract.
"Right now, stage one is returning and delivering strong performances.
"Places must be fought for and deserved."
In other Ligue 1 matches this weekend, table-toppers Paris Saint-Germain face Le Havre, third-positioned Lens host fourth-placed Strasbourg, and fierce Mediterranean foes Nice and Marseille clash.
Spotlight player: Maghnes Akliouche
Still buzzing from netting his debut goal for France in their 3-1 triumph against Azerbaijan during 2026 World Cup qualifiers on Sunday, Monaco forward Akliouche stands to gain significantly from Pogba's arrival.
The 23-year-old ranks among Ligue 1's most promising prospects and harbours dreams of a call-up to Didier Deschamps' team for the North American finals next year.
Akliouche has managed three goals in 11 appearances so far this season, but with a creative force like Pogba feeding him, his form could surge ahead.
Essential figures
26 - Should Pogba appear for Monaco, it marks his initial official outing in 26 months
9 - Strasbourg's top scorer Joaquin Panichelli leads the charts, edging out Marseille's Mason Greenwood and Rennes' Esteban Lepaul, both on eight
2 - PSG claimed victory in their previous two league games via strikes after the 90th minute
Schedule (times GMT)
Friday
Nice v Marseille (1945)
Saturday
Lens v Strasbourg (1600), Rennes v Monaco (1800), Paris Saint-Germain v Le Havre (2005)
Sunday
Auxerre v Lyon (1400), Nantes v Lorient, Brest v Metz, Toulouse v Angers (all 1615), Lille v Paris FC (1945)