Paul Pogba's career hits brutal new low a decade on from being world's most-expensive footballer

Since completing his 18-month doping suspension, the 32-year-old Frenchman has managed only three brief substitute outings totalling half an hour of action.

His attempted comeback has been plagued by fitness setbacks from the outset, with the World Cup winner having gone more than two years without competitive football before finally returning to the pitch in late November.

Monaco face PSG in the knockout round play-offs later this month without him.

Monaco's chief executive Thiago Scuro acknowledged in mid-January that "the plan implemented since Paul's arrival isn't working as expected."

When pressed on the midfielder's condition and potential comeback during Simon Adingra's presentation this week, Scuro offered little clarity on a timeline.

"The entire medical department is focused on finding solutions," he stated.

"There's no clear answer to that question. We still need to develop the process to clarify the situation."

The CEO also outlined the recovery pathway ahead for the struggling Frenchman.

He stated: "As with any injury, the first step will be to get back on the pitch, then continue to progress in training to regain the necessary fitness to play."

Pogba's return to competitive action came on 22 November against Rennes, ending an absence spanning 811 days, though Monaco suffered a 4-1 defeat in that fixture.

Subsequent cameos against PSG and Brest followed before the calf injury struck on 5 December, halting his progress entirely.

The midfielder was named among the substitutes for Champions League group stage matches against Pafos and Galatasaray but remained unused on both occasions.

UEFA regulations permit clubs to register three fresh players for the knockout phase, prompting Monaco to bring in new recruits Wout Faes and Simon Adingra alongside Krepin Diatta.

Mohammed Salisu and former Liverpool forward Takumi Minamino have also been removed from the European squad, with both facing season-ending knee injuries.

Pogba initially received a four-year suspension in February 2024 following a failed drugs test the previous September, though he consistently maintained his innocence throughout the process.

An appeal successfully reduced the punishment to 18 months, yet Juventus terminated his £200,000-per-week contract regardless.

Although eligible to resume playing from March 2025, the midfielder did not secure his move to the principality until June, when he committed to a two-year agreement.

The switch to Monaco marked a significant moment in his career, allowing him to compete in French domestic football for the first time since departing Le Havre for Manchester United as a 16-year-old.

Now, however, his long-term future is up in the air.

Pogba was once the world's most-expensive footballer, having returned to United for a second stint in August 2016 for a huge sum of £89million.