Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick has revealed that he will meet Paul Pogba for the first time in person on Sunday but expects the midfielder to remain sidelined for another few weeks.
Pogba hasn’t played for United since suffering a hamstring injury at the start of November and has spent the last few weeks undergoing warm weather rehab in Dubai.
The Frenchman, whose last Premier League game was the 5-0 thrashing by Liverpool when he was sent off, is scheduled to return to the UK on Friday and will meet up with Rangnick the day after United have played Norwich in the Premier League on Saturday evening.
“We spoke over the phone on Tuesday. He was still in Dubai, he is expected to come back today and then we get to know each other in person on Sunday,” Rangnick told media on Friday, via Manchester Evening News.
“He told me he is getting better but, obviously, he is still not fully fit. From what I have heard so far, it will take another couple of weeks until he can train again. And then he has been out for quite some time, so then it will take another couple of weeks to get him match-fit.”
It could be Christmas before Pogba resumes training, which would mean it is then pushing mid-January before he might be ready to make his return in a game. United have up to seven games before then, including against Brighton, Newcastle, Wolves and Aston Villa.
Pogba’s absence has so far resulted in him being the forgotten man of Rangnick’s United revolution, which has taken in games against Crystal Palace and Young Boys so far.
By the time he is fit enough to return to action, the issue of his Old Trafford future will also be even more pressing. Once it gets to January, Pogba will be in the final six months of his United contract, although he is keen to assess all of the available options before making a decision. That includes potentially signing an extension to stay at the club if the offer is right.
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Source : 90min