Guess who's back

The time has come. Honestly, it’s been a long wait. No matter how much people judged him — fairly or unfairly — there was a touch of sympathy, and some probably even missed him. Because at his peak, Paul Pogba was considered one of the top central midfielders in the world. Now he’s far from that status, but at least he’ll have the chance to remind football fans of what he can do.

The long-awaited return of the Frenchman to the pitch is expected on Saturday, when Monaco — the club he signed for this summer — visits Rennes at Roazhon Park. This would mark the end of a 26-month ordeal that has plagued Pogba.

That’s how long it’s been since he last played. His previous appearance was for Juventus against Empoli on September 3, 2023, when he spent 23 minutes on the field. Since then, he’s been through a lot — from allegations of doping that led to a FIFA suspension, to personal issues including a legal dispute with his own brother, and of course, injuries that have prevented him from returning sooner.

In fact, Pogba’s debut in Monaco colors has already been postponed twice. He was initially expected to play against Angers on October 18, but a muscle injury forced him into therapy. Then it was suggested that he might return on November 1 against Paris, only for him to injure his ankle in training two days before the match, forcing another hiatus.

Now, coach Sebastien Pocognoli hopes he can finally count on the former Juventus and Manchester United star.

“I said we will assess Pogba’s capabilities based on what he brings to the field. That doesn’t mean he will play out of empathy. I hope he’s close to returning,” the Belgian said.

Pogba is certainly not ready for a full 90 minutes yet, but he must slowly get back into rhythm. With him on the pitch, Monaco could become more stable. After all, in this season’s Ligue 1, only two teams have conceded more goals than Monaco. This is where Pogba could make a difference — by helping opponents reduce entries into the penalty area, automatically limiting chances and goals.

The attack is already functioning well. Monaco scores an average of two goals per Ligue 1 match and deserves a higher position than sixth, currently seven points behind league leaders Paris Saint-Germain.