Will Paul Pogba play for France again? World Cup winner gets ‘complicated’ warning from Didier Deschamps after failed drugs test at Juventus

The World Cup winner is being prevented from turning out for club and country at present, with a suspension being served on the back of a failed drugs test. The threat of a lengthy ban, and having his contract in Turin cancelled completely, continues to hang over Pogba.

Pogba has struggled for form and fitness since returning to Juve as a free agent in 2022, with regular setbacks preventing him from making the desired impact in Italy after severing ties with Manchester United. He would need to rediscover a spark in order to earn an international recall if he is cleared to play again.

Deschamps is unable to offer any promises to Pogba, though, telling reporters when asked if the enigmatic 30-year-old will figure for his country again: “[Massimiliano] Allegri is particularly sad for Paul, as am I too, a lot of things have fallen on his head lately. He finds himself in a complicated situation. He will defend himself. He will have to defend himself, this forms part of a long procedure. It all started with the doping test. I don't know what tomorrow holds for him, but what's happening to him is sad for him. I'll not have a categorical or radical position. I don't know what his future will be like, it will take time. Even if he hasn't been with us for a while. I hope for him that he finds his smile again, the full possession of his means, that he will find the pitch again, but it will take time.”

Pogba has earned 91 caps for France, scoring 11 goals, and was part of their squad which savoured World Cup glory in 2018. His focus is locked on domestic matters for now, with there still a chance that he will avoid being stung with a ban that would leave his career hanging in the balance.