Pogba Juventus return set to be delayed as France World Cup absentee has yet to start running again after knee surgery

• Suffered meniscus injury in pre-season
• Has been out for four months
• Now expected to return at end of January

WHAT'S HAPPENING? The Frenchman's return from the meniscus injury that he suffered in pre-season has been delayed further than expected, as the 29-year-old has yet to start the running phase of his rehabilitation programme, GOAL can confirm. Currently, Pogba continues his recovery work in the gym and the swimming pool as he builds the strength back up in his right knee following successful surgery in early September. The away Serie A fixture against Napoli on January 13 was earmarked as a possible date for his return, but unfortunately, that now looks unlikely. The likelihood now is that he could be back for the Bianconeri towards the back end of January, which will be a blow for head coach Massimiliano Allegri.

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Pogba sealed a highly anticipated return to Juventus in the summer on a free transfer, following the expiration of his contract at Manchester United. However, things took a turn for the worse during the club's pre-season tour of the USA, as he suffered a lesion of the lateral meniscus in his right knee. Initially, he took the decision not to have the selective external arthroscopic meniscectomy surgical procedure, as he hoped to recover in time to feature in some of Juventus' league matches and be fit in time for the World Cup. That decision was ultimately reversed in September, ruling Pogba out for a number of months.

AND WHAT'S MORE: The injury setback dashed Pogba's dream of representing Les Bleus at the World Cup in Qatar. Chelsea's N'Golo Kante was also ruled out prior to the tournament, which forced France boss Didier Deschamps to completely reshuffle his midfield.

STORY IN TWO PHOTOS:

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THE VERDICT: It is often the case with severe injuries that prospective return dates are pushed back further, and once again, this is the case with Pogba. There have been some videos shared on his social media of his rehabilitation in recent weeks, but despite that, the Frenchman is not yet where he wants to be.

WHAT NEXT FOR JUVENTUS? After a turbulent first half of the season for the Bianconeri on and off the pitch, Allegri's side are back in Serie A action on January 4, as they face Cremonese away from home.