MONACO (AP) — Monaco's bid for a Champions League spot next season could be boosted by the return of midfielder Paul Pogba.
The former France star recently returned to light training following a lengthy injury layoff due to a persistent left calf problem, and on Thursday he scored in a friendly match against Premier League team Brentford.
The 2018 World Cup winner Pogba joined Monaco on a two-year contract last summer but has played only about 30 minutes since making his debut at the end of November.
Monaco is sixth in Ligue 1 with seven rounds remaining. The top three qualify directly for next season's Champions League and the team finishing fourth goes through qualifying.
Coach Sébastien Pocognoli has turned Monaco's fortunes around and his side is on a six-game winning run and just three points behind third-place Marseille. Monaco hosts Marseille on April 5, after the international break.
Pogba scored in the World Cup final win over Croatia eight years ago, when he was considered among the best midfielders in the world.
He also dealt with thigh and ankle problems since joining Monaco, after more than two years out of the game in a career derailed by injuries, off-field problems and a doping ban.
He previously played for Juventus and Manchester United.
In 2016, Pogba became the then-most expensive soccer player in history when he returned to United from Juventus for a fee of 105 million euros (then $116 million). ___
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Please purchase a Premium Subscription to continue reading.
To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account.
We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription.
A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means you’re helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much!
Only subscribers can view and post comments on articles.
Already a subscriber? Login Here
Music speaks to us beyond words; its vibrations reach our core and allow us to connect with … Read moreDiscover the Joy of Piano - Free Piano Lesson for those 50+ years old! (LIMITED SPOTS LEFT)
“Side-splittingly funny and brilliantly chaotic” Read moreThe Play That Goes Wrong
CA Is Burning said:
CA Is Burning said:
Too bad democrats are allowed to vote
Rick Bonilla said:
This is the second time you have hit the nail one the head in as many days! Thank you
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
Error! There was an error processing your request.
Sorry, an error occurred.
Already Subscribed!
Cancel anytime
Thank you .
Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.
Check your email for details.
Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.
An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account.
No promotional rates found.
Secure & Encrypted
Thank you.
Your gift purchase was successful! Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.
| Rate: | |
| Begins: | |
| Transaction ID: |
A receipt was sent to your email.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.