Pogba, lateral meniscus injury. Recovery times

by our correspondent Fabiana Della Valle

July 25
– Dallas (USA)

forty-five minutes on the pitch against Chivas, some flashes of his class, a great shot that could have become a goal and Massimiliano Allegri’s earshot: “Pogba had a good chance at the beginning but then he played too much and he, who he is no longer a young man, he must not do it “. The American tour of the Octopus lasted so long, that it will miss not only the next match in Dallas against Barcelona (in the night between today and tomorrow, 2.30 am Italian time) and the last test against Real Madrid (in Los Angeles in the night between 30 and 31, 4 hours Italian) but also the first full month of the championship, perhaps even more. The optimism of the early hours yesterday gave way to a decidedly less comforting forecast: the discomfort in his right knee is actually caused by a meniscus injury that will most likely force Pogba to undergo surgery and stay away from the field at least for the next two months. . A bad tile for Juve, which was aiming for the new number ten for a start in the league. Bad news also for the Juventus fans in the States, many of whom had bought the ticket just to be able to admire the beloved Octopus live.

Pogba did not train, he stayed in the hotel in the morning while the team had the last session in Los Angeles before leaving for Dallas in the evening. He did not get on the flight to Texas and Juventus issued a statement on his condition: «Pogba was subjected to radiological investigations which revealed a lesion of the lateral meniscus. In the next few hours he will be subjected to specialist advice ». The most probable way remains that of the intervention: if the consultation that the midfielder will do in America in the next few hours confirms the feelings of the Juventus doctors, Paul will immediately go under the knife in an American clinic, to speed up the times. The possibilities of avoiding the operation are not many, especially since it is a problem that the player has been carrying around for some time and that it would be better to solve once and for all.

Two months out So Pogba will certainly not be there for his debut in the league against Sassuolo on the evening of Ferragosto and will also miss the first two days of the Champions League, scheduled for 6-7 September and 13 and 14 September. The return to the field in case of intervention is scheduled for late September-early October and maybe it will be ready for the third round (4 and 5 October). Allegri risks having to deal with the emergency for 6-7 games, given that the first month of the championship will be rather concentrated due to the stop between November and December for the World Cup in Qatar.

Rabiot does not move

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The most immediate solution to replace Pogba is another Frenchman, Adrien Rabiot, who did not leave for America for personal reasons and is now retiring with the Under 23s. The former PSG is used to playing in that position and not. by chance it is no longer considered on the market (some English clubs had come forward, but none of the player’s liking) precisely because it is considered the natural substitute for the Octopus. Against Barcelona, ​​on the other hand, Allegri is thinking of letting the young Argentine Soulé play in that position, who on Sunday was tried in the three-way median with Locatelli in the direction and McKennie on the right.

The dynamics

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Pogba had stopped training on Saturday afternoon: he felt a pain in his right knee at the end of a technical exercise and immediately asked for medical assistance. When he left the field he was limping and was escorted out by the doctor and another staff member, but he showed his thumb to his teammates to make it clear that everything was fine. On Sunday morning he stayed at the hotel, while his teammates trained on the Loyola Marymouth University pitch, to work in the gym and in the swimming pool. In the afternoon, however, he followed his teammates from the sidelines, having fun spinning the ball with his hands and on his head and indulging in the selfies of the fans. The pain had diminished with the passing of the hours and on Sunday she was walking much better. To the boys who had asked him how he felt he had replied “good”, perhaps to try to get rid of bad thoughts. The exams, however, have swept away doubts and above all hopes: the Octopus tour is already over and the fans will have to wait a little longer to enjoy his magic.