Paul Pogba’s return to football with Monaco isn’t going to plan.
The French World Cup winner arrived in the Principality in June after an 18-month doping ban and it appeared like the perfect fit out of the spotlight.
However, he’s since struggled with injury and played just 30 minutes across three games and the bad news hasn’t stopped.
Injured in December, he’s now been taken out of Monaco’s Champions League squad ahead of their play-off tie against PSG.
Discussing such a tough return, Mathias Pogba told RMC Sport: “It’s frustrating, not just for him but for everyone in the family.
“I told him he couldn’t come back at 100% right away. We expected more from his return.
“Reality caught up with him. His body wasn’t used to that kind of high-intensity rhythm anymore.
“We’re not robots. When you come back, you have to take it slowly, otherwise it sends you signals. That’s exactly what’s happening to him.”
He added: “We are patient and resilient. He will have that patience to get back to his best level.
“He is working. It’s more mentally that it becomes difficult. You have high expectations. You are enthusiastic and then you get stabbed in the back again.
“It’s about bouncing back again and again. It’s a combination of things. There’s the desire to get back on the pitch, but the body is telling you not to go too fast.
“There are percentages everywhere: physical, cardio, mental… We will have to be patient. We’ve always taken it one day at a time.”
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