Paul Pogba to Have Knee Surgery, World Cup Status Unclear

The Juventus star needs an operation to repair a torn meniscus, putting his 2022 World Cup chances in doubt.

Midfielder Paul Pogba will undergo surgery to repair his injured meniscus, Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri confirmed. 

The 29-year-old midfielder, who won the 2018 World Cup with France, returned to training this week after trying to recover from the injury without surgery, but Allegri said that an operation is now inevitable. 

“This morning Pogba trained for the second time, but then stopped, and it was then decided that he undergo surgery” Allegri said in a press conference Monday. “We will realistically get him back in January.”

When asked whether Pogba could play in the World Cup, seeing that Juventus’s World Cup and winter break lasts from mid-November to the start of January, Allegri sidestepped, not necessarily ruling the former Manchester United man out of a trip to Qatar, although the timeline would be tight.  

“The World Cup is not my problem, Juventus’s problem is that he comes back in January,” Allegri said, per the BBC. 

Pogba’s off-the-field problems in an extortion scandal featuring his brother seemed to ease somewhat when he was backed by France teammate Kylian Mbappé on Monday. 

French officials said that Pogba paid 100,000 euros ($99,200) to an organized group including his brother that was trying to extort him for millions more. Pogba also reportedly told investigators that his brother Mathias is trying to discredit the Juventus star by saying the midfielder asked a witch doctor to cast a spell on Mbappé.  

But Mbappé responded to the rumors, saying that he believes his fellow national team star. 

“Today as things stand I prefer to believe what my teammate says,” Mbappé said, per AFP. “He called me and gave me his version of events. It is his word against his brother’s word. I am going to trust my teammate. 

“I think it’s in the interests of the national team as well with a big tournament coming up. At the moment he already has certain problems and now is not the time to add to those problems.”

France begins its World Cup defense Nov. 22 against Australia.