Paul Pogba nears Monaco exit after fresh training injury and six appearances in one season

Training injury at St George's Park

Paul Pogba's already fragile tenure at AS Monaco suffered another blow on Tuesday, August 11, when the 33-year-old midfielder sustained a left thigh injury during a training match at St George's Park, the English national football centre where Monaco are holding their pre-season tour. Pogba, who had only just returned to collective training after recurring discomfort in his right knee, collapsed on the pitch with a cry before being escorted to the sidelines by two members of Monaco's staff, according to Nice-Matin. He received strapping on the thigh and was helped to the dressing room. The New York Times described the injury as a hamstring problem feared to sideline him for several months.

A season of near-invisibility

Pogba's first season at Monaco was derailed by injuries from the outset. Across the entire 2025-26 Ligue 1 campaign, he made just six appearances, all but one as a substitute, totalling 115 minutes according to Le Soir, RTBF and 20minutes. Le Parisien reported the figure as 133 minutes. His sole start came on May 2 in a 2-1 win at Metz, his last official match. Since then, his only competitive action was 45 minutes in a friendly against Saint-Priest on July 18, where, surrounded by Monaco reserve-team players, he struggled physically despite flashes of technical quality.

Monaco move to terminate

Monaco's management had been weighing Pogba's future for weeks before the latest injury. The New York Times reported that talks over a mutual termination of his two-year contract, signed in summer 2025 and due to run until June 2027, had been ongoing for several weeks. Nice-Matin, whose reporting was confirmed by Le Parisien and Le Figaro, wrote that the club had already informed the player of its intention to end the deal. A financial agreement is expected before the summer transfer window closes on September 1.

Scuro's transparent warning

Thiago Scuro, Monaco's director general, set out the club's position publicly in July during the presentation of new head coach Filipe Luis, who replaced Sebastien Pocognoli.

“With Paul, it's a very open, very transparent relationship. If there comes a moment where the player's expectations differ from the club's, we'll have to talk and find a solution. Sporting performance will give all the answers we need. He can leave or stay.”

Sources close to the matter told 20minutes that the club's expectations regarding Pogba's readiness for the official start of the season had not changed, and that his current condition showed he was far from that level.

From World Cup winner to free agent

Pogba joined Monaco on a free transfer after leaving Juventus in November 2024, during a doping suspension that began with a positive test for dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) in August 2023. He was initially banned for four years in February 2024 before the Court of Arbitration for Sport reduced the sanction to 18 months, making him eligible to return in March 2025. His Monaco debut in November 2025 was his first competitive appearance since September 2023, a gap of 26 months. A 2018 World Cup winner with 91 France caps, Pogba now faces the prospect of becoming a free agent again at 33, with one year left on a contract Monaco no longer wants.