Paul Pogba Backs Team-Mate Alexis Sanchez to Find Manchester United Success

Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba has defended team-mate Alexis Sanchez and believes the Chilean will eventually find his best form for the Red Devils.

The former Arsenal and Barcelona man has struggled since completing a move to Old Trafford in January, and he was taken off early in Saturday's 1-1 draw against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League.

Per Mark Critchley of The Independent, Pogba came to his defence:

"What you have to know about Alexis is he is a hard worker. He trains very well, he always tries to help the team, talks with the team and everything. He will get used to it.

"When you play a long time with another team and you play different football in that other team you have some kind of adaptation that you have to have. It's not that he is playing bad.

"We know that Alexis Sanchez can bring a lot and I'm sure he will. I'm sure he will. But he's not playing bad and he keeps being positive, you know, so that's the good thing we have to think about."

The 29-year-old has yet to score in the Premier League this season and didn't complete any of United's last three outings. Critchley noted his struggles date back to the previous campaign, as he has just three goals in 23 appearances for the club.

Per the Telegraph's James Ducker, his poor play goes beyond the lack of goals:

His vast wages combined with his disappointing displays make him an easy target for critics.

The Mirror's David McDonnell is among them:

Manager Jose Mourinho took him off after just 63 minutes against Wolves, opting for Anthony Martial as his team chased a goal. The Frenchman has also had his share of critics and was a frequent topic of transfer speculation in the summer, per Richard Tanner of the Daily Mirror.

Martial and Marcus Rashford have both fallen down the pecking order since the arrival of the 29-year-old. A relative lack of opportunities for the duo is yet another unwanted consequence of Sanchez's poor form, as Mourinho has persisted in playing him.

While Pogba said it's still early days in Sanchez's United career, it's worth noting he's already been at Old Trafford for nine months and had a full summer to prepare for the season due to Chile's failure to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

He's likely to sit out the Carabao Cup third-round meeting with Derby County on Tuesday, and that may help his form moving forward. It could also open the door for his replacement to push for a regular spot in the starting XI, however.