Paul Pogba’s fault he will miss the World Cup – Allegri

Robin Bairner

• 2 Nov 2022 13:14 GMT
• 3 min read

Juventus head coach Max Allegri has claimed that Paul Pogba has no one to blame for himself for his absence from World Cup 2022.

It was confirmed earlier this week that the former Manchester United player will miss the competition, with the midfielder unable to defend the crown he won with France in Russia four years ago.

Since completing a free transfer back to Turin from Man Utd in the summer, Pogba has endured a nightmare spell. He has not even played a single competitive minute for Juve.

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Allegri’s sympathy, though, appears limited. Indeed, the head coach says it is the 29-year-old’s fault for not opting for surgery when he had the chance.

Speaking ahead of Juventus’ Champions League clash with PSG on Wednesday, he said: “I spoke to him earlier. It's pointless repeating what has already been said.

“Once the decision was made not to have surgery at the start of the season, it was normal that hopes that he could return with Juventus and France were slim.

MORE: Paul Pogba out of World Cup: Is his top-level career over?

“He's sorry for Juventus and the World Cup, it's normal, we were penalised for not having him available.”

Pogba's nightmare campaign

Pogba sustained the problem in July and was forced to undergo surgery in September in a bid to overcome the knee injury. As he attempted to make his comeback in training, he suffered from a thigh problem.

It means that France will be without both of their starting central midfielders, with N’Golo Kante missing, while Raphael Varane is set to be sidelined from the defence, too.

Pogba’s drama this season has not been restricted to on-field problems. Away from it, he has endured a spectacular falling out with brother Mathias, who has been accused of an extortion attempt against the player.

All of this is adding up to a miserable return to Juventus, where he is under contract until 2026.

Having once been the most expensive player ever when he signed for Man Utd from Juventus for €105 million in 2016, Pogba’s FootballTransfer valuation is now just €29m.