Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba will return to first-team training next week with a chance of playing in the derby against Manchester City, according to reports in France.
The 26-year-old has barely featured for United this season, making just two league appearances since September.
Pogba has been suffering with an ankle problem that was re-aggravated in December, and required him to undergo surgery last month.
According to French newspaper L’Equipe, the midfielder has a 50-50 chance of featuring in the Manchester derby on March 8, but the match against Tottenham the following week is more likely.
The report also states that France manager Didier Deschamps is set to leave Pogba out of the squad for their international friendlies in March.
The world champions are due to face Ukraine and Finland, but Deschamps is unwilling to take the risk on his star midfielder if he doesn’t feature against Manchester City.
Pogba’s accelerated recovery comes as a shock, with United boss Ole Gunnar Solksjaer admitting before Thursday’s win over Club Brugge that he didn’t know when the Frenchman would return.
Earlier in the week, the Red Devils star posted a video of himself in the swimming pool and gym to his Instagram page with the caption, ‘soon’, alluding to an imminent return.
The former Juventus midfielder’s future has been the subject of speculation, with his agent Mino Raiola admitting he would like a return to Italy.
Those comments sparked a war of words with Solskjaer, who hit back saying, ‘Paul is our player and not Mino’s’.
Pogba wouldn’t have won any support from United fans when he admitted bitter rivals Liverpool ‘deserve’ their place at the top of the Premier League table.
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