Monaco’s Paul Pogba to return in time to face Tottenham?

“I think”, “I hope”: whilst Adi Hutter didn’t want to completely commit to Paul Pogba’s return date, he did everything but during Friday’s press conference attended by Get French Football News.

The Frenchman joined AS Monaco on a free transfer back in June, but having not played now for over two years, the Principality club have shown extreme caution by not rushing a return; it wasn’t as if the months that preceded his ban were exactly injury-free.

That caution saw Monaco devise a three-month programme, tailored to Pogba’s needs. That was three months ago. La Pioche is still not back on the pitch, but it may not stay that way for too much longer. 

Pogba back in a fortnight?

The France international may still not have completed a full training session with Les Monégasques, but that may not prevent him from making his debut in just two weeks’ time, against SCO Angers. That is, at least according to Hutter, who caveated his statement by saying he wasn’t “making any promises”. 

“He is doing more and more with the team. Our goal was for him to maybe in the squad for Nice, but it is a bit too early. Against Angers, I hope he can be a part of the squad,” began Hutter. His tentativeness on the subject gradually gave way. 

“I think he can be ready to face Angers,” he answered soon after, “but it could be the match after,” he added. And who is it that Monaco face after Angers? Tottenham Hotspur. 

Game time, it is seen, could be a replacement for a long run of full sessions.“How many sessions does he need? That depends on the conversation that we will have. We will have a conversation, and with the technical director, too,” said the Monaco manager.

An appearance for Monaco’s development side?

“It is in my mind how to increase the load, maybe [by playing him] in a match, [with] 15/20 minutes against Angers,” said Hutter. His impact is already felt off the pitch. “He is already in the dressing room, even if he doesn’t wear the shirt. He has been in the dressing room in the past matches to encourage us, giving instructions to the young players, and they like having someone in the dressing room who has won everything.”

But his impact could soon be felt on the pitch, either against Angers, Tottenham, or in an academy game. “Playing him with the Groupe Élite is under consideration… but it is Paul Pogba,” the Monaco manager later conceded. Both parties are eager for this highly anticipated return, which may now be just two weeks away. 

GFFN | Luke Entwistle – reporting from Monaco