Paul Pogba will miss the World Cup finals in Qatar as he continues his rehabilitation from a knee injury, his agent has confirmed.
The France star who won the last World Cup with Les Bleus in Russia in 2018 was hoping to play in his third major tournament finals.
Tests in Italy and the United States confirmed the 29-year-old will not be fit in time for the 2022 World Cup, which starts on the 20th of November.
“We won’t see him until 2023, and his entourage have confirmed that also he will be out of the World Cup,” a Juventus spokesman told The Associated Press on Monday.
“After medical exams yesterday and today, it is extremely painful to announce that Paul Pogba needs more rehabilitation after his operation,” his agent, Rafaela Pimenta, said in a statement on Monday.
“For that reason, Paul can’t be part of the France team in Qatar.”
Pogba underwent surgery after tearing his meniscus during Juventus’s preseason tour of the United States in July, two weeks after rejoining the Italian club from Manchester United.
However, it has been a rough period for him since. He has also been mired in an extortion scandal involving his older brother and childhood friends.
France are due to begin their World Cup campaign in Qatar against Australia on November 22. They will also face Denmark and Tunisia in Group D.