Account
Manchester United's Paul Pogba Posts Recovery Update After Ankle Surgery
January 9, 2020
Paul Pogba is stepping up his recovery from ankle surgery and posted updates on Instagram on Thursday about the work he's doing to return to fitness.
The Manchester United midfielder shared a pair of videos (h/t MailOnline's Jonathan Spencer) along with the words: "Injured? So what? No excuses."
Pogba is expected to take four weeks to recover after his surgery.
United have been without the services of their most dynamic player in the middle for most of the campaign. Pogba has been restricted to just five starts in the Premier League thanks to injuries.
While Pogba's commitment to United's cause is often criticised, his flair and eye for a pass are qualities woefully lacking in the current team.
Former Red Devils midfielder Darren Fletcher has defended Pogba's value to the squad, telling TalkSport's Sports Bar (h/t Billy Hawkins of TalkSport):
"But we've lost our most creative player this season—Paul Pogba. Pogba, say what you like about him, I think he gets a hard time. There is no doubt we've missed him this season—the stats are there (to prove it). Relative to how people think he's performed—whether he's lived up to the price tag or not—Paul Pogba creates on the pitch, makes things happen, and tries things with his passes, and they've missed that 100 percent."
Meanwhile, United legend Ryan Giggs recently told Optus Sport (h/t Metro) how continuously having to answer questions about Pogba's status and future has to frustrate manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Pogba's prolonged absence has left Solskjaer waiting for Andreas Pereira and Fred to step up and handle the creative load. It's been a long wait, with Pereira tallying three assists in the league, while Brazilian Fred has yet to create a goal in England's top flight this season.
With 31-year-old Juan Mata sparingly used, United have become defined more by brawn and industry in the middle. The lack of guile has made a one-dimensional team overly reliant on breaking at pace.
Pogba, who underwent surgery on Tuesday, is a mercurial talent who offers a unique blend of power and technique when at his best.
Said best is rarely seen, though, thanks to a mix of inconsistency and injuries. Yet if United's midfield maestro can get back to full fitness in time for the business end of the campaign, he can still inspire the Red Devils to qualify for next season's UEFA Champions League.