Paul Pogba Talks Injury Frustration with Return Unlikely Before December

Manchester United star Paul Pogba has revealed his frustration at being injured and provided an update on the time frame for his recovery.

The Frenchman is out with an ankle injury and missed United's 1-0 defeat to Bournemouth on Saturday.

Pogba told RMC Sport (h/t Goal's James Westwood):

"It is the worst. After, it is not easy to see my team-mates go to training or on the field.

"You train inside, you want to return to help your team but when you are injured it is not easy [psychologically]. The most important thing is to heal properly."

On his recovery, he added: "I will still be under plaster for 10 days. After, I still have two weeks of rehabilitation."

Pogba's ankle problems mean he has featured just twice since the start of September.

The Red Devils play Sheffield United on November 24 and Astana in the UEFA Europa League four days later, but if he fails to return for either of those, then he may not play again until December 1, when United host Aston Villa.

Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has previously given a similar timeline for his recovery:

The team haven't fared that well while the 26-year-old has been missing this season.

Including the loss at Bournemouth, they've suffered defeats in three of the six Premier League matches he's missed. Their other losses came against West Ham United and Newcastle United, both of whom reside in the bottom half of the table.

Squawka's Muhammad Butt observed United's need for a creative player like Pogba as they struggled against the Cherries:

Pogba has been absent for a total of 10 games in all competitions, and in only one of those have the Red Devils scored more than once from open play—their 3-1 win at Norwich City.

In their 2-1 Carabao Cup win over Chelsea—the only other occasion they've found the back of the net more than once—Marcus Rashford scored via a penalty and a free-kick.

Andreas Pereira has struggled to replace the Frenchman. The 23-year-old has created 12 chances in 10 Premier League appearances this season.

According to The Athletic's Laurie Whitwell, Pogba has made 13 chances despite playing just five times in the league. Until he returns, United will continue to struggle going forward.