Pogba absent from the France squad for the World Cup

November 1 - Defending champions France suffered another blow ahead of the World Cup with the announcement that midfielder Paul Pogba will miss the tournament after failing to recover from knee surgery .

Pogba, 29, hasn't played for Juventus this season since leaving Manchester United in the summer.

In a statement, Pogba's agent, Rafaela Pimenta, said: "Following the medical examination yesterday and today in Turin and Pittsburgh, it is extremely painful to inform that Paul Pogba will still need recovery time after his operation.

"For this reason, Paul will not be able to join the Juventus team before the World Cup break or the France team in Qatar."

Pogba, whose last appearance for France came in a 5-0 friendly win over South Africa in March, returned to Juve at the end of the season after his term expired. contract with Manchester United.

France have already lost another key midfielder in N'Golo Kante, who was ruled out for four months after undergoing surgery for a hamstring injury this month.

Pogba was one of France's finest players in their 2018 World Cup triumph, scoring in the final against Croatia as they lifted the title for the second time.

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