Paul Pogba was 'tricked' into taking banned substance before being handed four-year ban, former France team-mate claims

Pogba failed a drug test in August after he tested positive for DHEA, a banned substance known to enhance testosterone levels. Subsequently, the footballer was handed a four-year ban. However, Pogba's legal team has vehemently denied any intentional wrongdoing, claiming that he inadvertently ingested the substance and have pledged to challenge the ban at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

However, Rio Mavuba, a former member of the French national team, has made an explosive claim that the midfielder might have been deceived into taking the banned substance. Mavuba, who played alongside Pogba during the 2014 World Cup, voiced his belief in Pogba's innocence and even hinted at possible manipulation in the doping scandal.

Speaking to Telefoot via Get French Football News, Mavuba said: "(I am) in no doubt about Paul’s sincerity and I think he may have been somewhat tricked too."

Pogba has received an outpouring of support from his peers, with Adrien Rabiot, his team-mate at Juventus, expressing the devastating impact of the news on the dressing room. "We’re talking to Paul. He’s trying to keep his head up even when everything is falling on him. I hope he will come out of this as best he can because having all of this to deal with at once is a lot," he said.

Whereas, Adil Rami, a former French international, believes that Pogba has the potential to return even at 35. "I even think that he is capable of training by himself for four years and coming back. If he does that, it’ll be one of the best stories that a champion is capable of creating," he stated.

As Pogba prepares to appeal the ban with the Court of Arbitration for Sport, uncertainty looms over his future at Juventus, where discussions regarding the termination of his contract are underway. Nonetheless, despite the legal battle ahead, alternative avenues for Pogba's career are emerging, including an offer from Broke Boys, a team in Russia's Media Football League.