Paul Pogba's comeback from doping ban and truth behind Monaco medical nightmare

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It's hardly a secret Paul Pogba 's return to football following a two-year hiatus due to his doping controversy has been deeply underwhelming. Yet Monaco may need to shoulder a substantial share of the blame for why his comeback season has been so bleak.

Anticipation was understandably sky-high when Pogba put pen to paper on a two-year contract at the Stade Louis II once his doping ban had elapsed. Following his second Manchester United spell ending so acrimoniously, the 33-year-old suffered a wretched return to Juventus , which soured further in 2023 when he tested positive for non-endogenous testosterone (that which isn't naturally produced).

Fast-forward to the present and Pogba, who insists on his innocence regarding the doping saga, has managed just 57 minutes across five appearances during an injury-plagued homecoming. Yet Ligue 1 journalist Luke Entwistle shed light on the shambles that's emerged within Monaco's medical setup this season, an aspect of the narrative many may not be as aware of.

"It's come within the context of an awful season within the medical department," he told the Manchester Evening News . "They've decided to get an injury-prone player that they need to get back to full fitness in a year where their medical record has been atrocious, with lots of muscular injuries.

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"The head doctor [Yann Le Meur] has lost his job a few weeks ago. Another one of the senior members within the medical staff has not been officially [fired]. Going to the training sessions and not seeing those people I used to see every week, I can tell you they're no longer there."

While no formal announcement has been made regarding Le Meur's departure, local media have reported he is no longer at the club. Entwistle reported in January that CEO Thiago Scuro fast-tracked an audit of the medical department, having originally scheduled it for the summer.

Scuro has said Pogba was "disturbed" by the persistent calf injury that has prevented him from making any real impact. The CEO's remarks also hinted at deeper concerns: "The program and the plan for Paul is not working the way we expected in the beginning...[he wants] to be more available, to increase the minutes on the pitch."

At present, Monaco are dealing with a host of significant injury setbacks that are severely restricting manager Sebastien Pocognoli's options. Former Premier League stars Takumi Minamino and Mohammed Salisu are both facing lengthy spells on the sidelines after suffering ACL tears, while several additional players remain unavailable due to knee and hamstring complaints.

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Pogba has historically been susceptible to persistent injuries and sat out 112 matches during his six-year second stint at Old Trafford. That works out at nearly 20 fixtures per season throughout that period and became a source of exasperation for his first United boss , Jose Mourinho .

While he has failed to warrant the weekly salary of approximately £45,000 (plus bonuses) he's collecting at Monaco, supporters continue to show the player affection. Nevertheless, there's a moment where one must ask whether Les Monegasques will ever extract value from the deal.

"They've chosen the wrong time for their medical department to implode and stop functioning," Entwistle added. "There have been changes since. There is a context around him having a difficult season."

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"There are things happening in the medical department that are a little bit worrying, even if it's not been addressed," he added. "Quite candidly, the CEO said, 'If clearly the schedule is not working for him, we'll see what we can do...'"

"So I think that maybe he's just not 100 per cent quite right. Nobody's really saying that, and nobody would come out and say that, but just visually, it looks like he's just not fully there still, despite this whole programme tailored around him, but with the caveat that this medical department has not done great work over the past year."

Pogba's most recent outing was a six-minute cameo from the substitutes' bench in Saturday's 2-2 stalemate against Toulouse. At the moment of his introduction, Monaco were leading 2-1 and edging towards their first victory in nearly a month; they ultimately shared the spoils following a late Toulouse leveller.

With 12 months remaining on his deal, Entwistle suggested there's hope Pogba might still demonstrate his fitness to recapture some of his previous brilliance on the Côte d'Azur. Nevertheless, his comeback from a lengthy spell out combined with the alleged shortcomings of Monaco's medical department has created the perfect storm.