Paul Pogba's comeback at Monaco has been derailed by injuries, with the former Manchester United star managing just 57 minutes in five appearances
Paul Pogba's comeback campaign at Monaco was meant to be the redemption story for one of football's modern icons. Instead, it's rapidly unravelling as yet another disheartening chapter since the World Cup-winner departed Manchester United four years ago.
From deflating second stints at United and Juventus to the even greater blow of serving an 18-month ban for a doping violation he maintains was unintentional, recent years have dealt Pogba a rough hand. And the harsh reality is the 33-year-old's finest days may well be firmly behind him.
An injury-plagued debut season on the French Riviera speaks volumes, with Pogba having featured for just 57 minutes across five appearances for Monaco as the campaign nears its conclusion. And French football expert Tom Williams believes yet another transfer beckons after the midfielder failed to make his mark in Monaco.
"Yes, unfortunately," Williams told the Manchester Evening News when asked whether he believes the player will be moved on this summer. "From what we've seen, he is the same player. He still moves around the pitch in the same way. He has the authority he always had. He has the same technical dexterity on the ball. He can still fly a perfectly weighted 60-yard diagonal pass.
"He just can't get around the pitch anything like he used to be able to. Unfortunately, since the start of the season, he's not been able to do it for more than 20 minutes at a time. Despite the fact that he has literally had nothing to do but just try to get fit.
"Again, I don't know what the long-term solution is, if there is one, but it's hard to have any real faith in his ability to come back from this in any durable way. Because he's had the best part of nine months to have a go at it and it just hasn't worked."
Pogba's most recent involvement was a six-minute substitute appearance in Saturday's 2-2 stalemate at Toulouse. The midfielder came on with his side leading 2-1 in an attempt to solidify the result, only for Sebastien Pocognoli's team to collapse once more and surrender crucial ground in the European qualification battle.
Though under contract until the summer of 2027, Pogba's prospects of remaining at the Stade Louis II past this season may hinge on which competition they participate in next campaign (if any). And his likelihood of completing a second season appears considerably lower should they miss out on European qualification altogether, an increasingly realistic possibility.
What was billed as the rebirth of France's once-golden boy has instead highlighted the inevitable march of time. At 33, other creative midfielders typically adapt to compensate for their diminishing physical faculties; Pogba would at this stage be thrilled simply to complete a full 90 minutes.
Les Monegasques could genuinely use that version of the player in their now unlikely push to clinch Champions League football for next term. The truth, though, is that what began as a potential fairytale signing increasingly looks like a disaster with each passing week.
Williams continued: "I imagine if Monaco had drawn up a set of potential scenarios at the beginning of the season, in terms of how much football he might be able to play and how much he might be able to contribute, the season that he's been able to produce so far would have been pretty much the absolute minimal expectation.
"Things have basically gone as badly as they could have done on the injury front. I guess it could [be seen as] a complete whitewash of a season [regarding Pogba's situation]."
It's worth noting the enormous respect Monaco's supporters had for the player, and which they predominantly still maintain. Williams emphasised the fanbase embraced Pogba, who remains United's record signing, as one of their own, and he's still warmly regarded.
While others might be criticised for a lack of fitness, Pogba still commands affection, particularly from younger supporters. Even rival fans have found it within themselves to show the player some warmth; Pogba is, after all, a French legend owing to his past achievements and was one of the defining faces of that 2018 World Cup triumph.
Yet the harsher reality is the Monaco experiment "just hasn't worked out," in Williams' words. Another transfer may well beckon this summer, but that only throws up further questions about who would take on a costly yet declining asset with so little prospect of a return on investment.