As the Principality club prepares to challenge Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League play-offs (first leg on February 17), management took a radical decision on Wednesday evening: Paul Pogba was officially removed from the UEFA list.
The general director of ASM, Thiago Scuro, confirmed on February 4 that there is currently no visibility on the return to competition of the 32-year-old midfielder. Injured in his left calf since mid-December, “La Pioche” has still not returned to collective training, weighed down by chronic physical weakness (thigh, ankle, then calf) since his free arrival last summer.
A starving record
The ASM’s bet seems, for the moment, lost. Since his signing until June 2027, the 2018 world champion has only played 30 minutes of play in total, spread over three anecdotal entries against Rennes, PSG and Brest. This lack of rhythm and these successive relapses pushed the technical staff to favor valid players for the European deadlines.
Forced adjustments
In addition to Pogba, Monaco also had to remove Mohammed Salisu and Takumi Minamino from its list for the C1, both victims of cruciate ligament ruptures. To compensate for these absences and the departure of Pogba from the list, the club integrated its winter recruits: Simon Adingra (arrived from Brighton), Wout Faes, Krépin Diatta.
This European sidelining seals a period of deep doubts about Paul Pogba’s ability to return to the high level. If Christophe Dugarry and Pascal Olmeta believe that the enthusiasm around his return was premature, the player remains determined to heal to honor his contract, even if his dream of participating in the 2026 World Cup is getting darker by the day.
