The Frenchman has missed the vast majority of the 2019-20 campaign through injury, but now seems to be closing in on a timely recovery.
Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has shown that Paul Pogba will be welcomed back into first-team training next week after making a complete recovery from a severe ankle injury.
Pogba hasn’t played for the Red Devils since coming on as a substitute during a 4-1 home victory over Newcastle on December 26 and underwent surgery on the niggling problem in January.
The World Cup winner has just featured in eight games across all competitions this year, with his final start coming from Arsenal way back in September.
Questions have been asked within the 26-year-old’s future in recent weeks, as Real Madrid and Juventus continue to be connected with summer moves for a player who has less than 18 months left to run on his current contract at Old Trafford.
It’s been suggested that Pogba might have already played his final game for United, but Solskjaer is expecting him back on the pitch just in time for the company end of the effort to get underway.
The Norwegian told a media conference on Wednesday: “Paul’s still working with the physios outside. He will not be training with the first-team until next week, so then let’s see how long that will take. But he will need some time to train, to receive his… call it soccer fitness back.”
Solskjaer also confirmed that United will likely be without summer signings Daniel James and Aaron Wan-Bissaka for an FA Cup fifth-round clash with Derby at Pride Park on Thursday.
He said: ” [Daniel James] he will probably miss out on this one too, Marcus [Rashford] and Paul are still out and I think Aaron might be fighting. He has got a test today but he fought in our final match against Everton with his back, so he could be out.”
The Red Devils will be aiming to bounce back from a 1-1 draw away at Everton when they take on the Rams, with David de Gea, if he begins against Derby, likely to be under the spotlight after another high-profile mistake.
The Spaniard was guilty of dawdling on the ball before viewing a column redirected into his web by Dominic Calvert-Lewin, which marked his seventh mistake causing a target in the Premier League since the beginning of last season.
Some enthusiasts and experts have called for No.2 goalkeeper Sergio Romero to be drafted in before De Gea but Solskjaer says the 29-year-old still enjoys his whole confidence.
When asked who will start between the sticks against Derby, Solskjaer responded:”It is not a given of course, and Sergio has done well in the matches he has played but I don’t have any qualms about playing David in each match, to be honest.
“What he’s done and his performances have been great, the saves, the rescue just after [his mistake ], were 100 percent offside for Calvert-Lewin but he was not flagged, so that was a point-saving rescue for us only afterward. He made amends.”
