Paul Pogba DROPPED by Juventus for disciplinary reasons just two games into his comeback
- French midfielder left out of midweek plans
- Allegri favouring others against Freiburg
- Bianconeri taking decisive action
WHAT HAPPENED? The World Cup-winning France international has been left of Massimiliano Allegri’s plans for the first leg of a Europa League last-16 showdown with Freiburg. He will play no part against Bundesliga opponents as the Bianconeri prepare to favour alternative options.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE: Pogba only made his long-awaited second competitive debut for Juve, following a return to Turin as a free agent in the summer of 2022, in a Serie A derby date with Torino on February 28. A second outing off the bench has been taken in since then, against Roma, but the 29-year-old already finds himself falling out of favour after breaching club rules.
AND WHAT'S MORE: Knee surgery kept Pogba stuck on the sidelines for long periods – forcing him to miss the 2022 World Cup finals – and he had been hoping to nail down a regular role after returning to fitness. It is, however, understood that has been left left of Juve’s latest squad after reporting late for duty on Wednesday evening.
WHAT THEY SAID?: Allegri confirmed this ahead of Thursday's European tie, telling Sky Sport: "It's simple because he arrived late to last nights call up and I believe in respect what's right is right. It's not a question of punishment to send him home. We have him tomorrow."
IN TWO PHOTOS:
WHAT NEXT? Juve are looking for continental competition to offer them some respite from the domestic struggles being endured in Serie A, with a 15-point deduction leaving them in danger of missing out on European qualification if they cannot go all the way in an event that still sees the likes of Manchester United, Arsenal, Sevilla and Roma involved.