Pogba ‘unlikely’ to play before World Cup, says Juve’s Allegri

Paul Pogba will probably not play for Juventus before the upcoming World Cup, coach Massimiliano Allegri said on Friday.

The France star has not played for Juve since returning to the Serie A outfit this summer due to a knee injury, and his team play just five more times between now and the Qatar tournament.

Juve’s final fixture of 2022 is against Lazio in Turin on November 13, and Allegri is not convinced that he will feature before Les Bleus begin the defence of their world title.

“(Federico) Chiesa and Pogba are not in the squad. There is no way that they will be picked on Wednesday (against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League) and 99 percent they won’t be available for Inter Milan either,” Allegri told reporters.

“If they come back, and it’s very unlikely, they will be available for Verona and Lazio. But it’s very unlikely.”

No return date for the 29-year-old midfielder has been made public with Les Bleus’ first World Cup game against Australia on November 22.

France coach Didier Deschamps will name his squad for the tournament in Qatar on November 9.