Pogba, Juve changes like this without the Frenchman

A year ago the worst seemed to be over. After almost a month and a half of conservative therapy, which proved useless in resolving the lateral meniscus injury, Pogba had been under the knife for a few days and was already counting down the days to return to the pitch. The latest red light given by anti-doping further complicates things and increases the questions about his future, in a start to the season that seemed to be able to push him slowly but more and more inside the pitch. It remained an unknown for the first part of the year, but with a better outlook than last year.

STOP

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Nothing to do. Juve is once again without its best player, at least on paper. The Frenchman’s talent is beyond question, he is technically one step ahead of the other members of the squad: remaining focused on his potential, he is one of the strongest players in Serie A. It is no coincidence that Allegri has so far reasoned favorably towards his involvement even partial for a good part of the year: his contribution, even minimal, could still have made the difference for large stretches of the season. And it is right to use the conditional at this point, because – pending the counter-analysis – we must take into account a long period of absence for the midfielder.

CONTRIBUTION

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Juve today loses a technical leader and a senator from the dressing room, even if since his return to Turin the adventure has been very unfortunate and not very supportive for his teammates. Last year Pogba contributed a minimum of 160 minutes throughout the season, despite being the highest paid in the squad with his €8 million plus €2 million in bonuses. His agent, Rafaela Pimenta, would soon meet the Juventus management to re-discuss the contract, perhaps expanding the variable part to be linked to a series of objectives to be achieved on the pitch. Now, however, termination of the contract cannot be ruled out in the event that the player is directly responsible for the testosterone positivity.

EXPECTATIONS

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Having to do without them entirely, Allegri will have to rely mainly on the talent of Chiesa and Vlahovic in attack, the potential of Rabiot in midfield and the reliability of Bremer, Danilo and Szczesny at the back. On today’s chessboard, Pogba’s presence could have easily increased Juve’s chances for the scudetto, without the Frenchman the squad is less competitive and experienced. And if it is true that for some time at Continassa there has been a view of not being able to rely on him, contrary to what was imagined in the summer of 2022, even at times a player of his caliber can always shift the balance in any circumstance. He still remains a world star.

DISAPPOINTMENT

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For now, Juve has postponed any decision until further investigations. Pogba, in an interview with Al Jazeera, had admitted that he had “thought about quitting football”, however showing himself ready to relaunch: “The detractors? I want to take back their words and show that I am not weak. They can speak badly of me, but I will never give up.” The suspension is another bad blow, for him and also for the Juventus club. The Pogback project had very different expectations, but instead it turned out to be one disappointment after another. The counter-analyses will shed light on the player’s stoppage: he hoped to return to the bench already with Lazio, but now there is no longer any certainty for the future.