Paul Pogba told he must find ‘balance’ at Juventus as Claudio Marchisio says injury-plagued midfielder used to be ‘from another planet’

Paul Pogba was “from another planet” during his first stint at Juventus, with Claudio Marchisio hoping to see the Frenchman recover that kind of form.

• Frenchman starred during first stint in Turin
• Returned to Italy from Manchester United
• Fitness problems have been holding him back

WHAT HAPPENED? The enigmatic World Cup winner returned to Turin for a second spell in the summer of 2022, with the 30-year-old midfielder hitting free agency following six largely testing seasons at Manchester United. A serious knee injury immediately ruled Pogba out of action at Juve – forcing him to miss the World Cup finals in Qatar – and he is still searching for the spark that once made Marchisio and Andrea Pirlo sit up and take note of his talent.

WHAT THEY SAID: Bianconeri legend Marchisio said of Pogba’s bid to get back to his best while speaking at a corporate event in Turin: “Can he return to his previous level? He’s had many injuries, I think it depends on him, he has to find a certain balance with his body and his mind – he’s also been through something terrible like being kidnapped in his family. I hope that beyond the physical problems he can find an important balance, despite not being physically well. He is a player who can recover for next year. I was lucky enough to know him when he was a kid, in two training sessions with Pirlo we said to ourselves ‘this kid is from another planet’, and it showed in his performances. Now he is going through another phase of his life, I hope that he can be instrumental for this season’s finale and for next year.”

Pogba has taken in just eight appearances for Juve this season – making no Serie A starts and seeing only 84 minutes of top-flight football in Italy – and is still waiting on his first goal involvement back at the Allianz Stadium.

WHAT NEXT? Time is still on Pogba’s side when it comes to recapturing the form and fitness that once made him one of the most exciting players on the planet, with a contract through to 2026 penned when retracing steps to Turin.