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Thiago Motta breaks silence on Paul Pogba's future at Juventus

Thiago Motta has discussed Paul Pogba's future at Juventus after the midfielder's doping ban was reduced.

As a result, the 31-year-old will be able to return to football in March - 18 months after his career was initially put on hold.

The ruling means Pogba could be available to play a part in Juventus' run in at the end of the current campaign.

However, Juve boss Motta appeared reluctant to make any decisions on whether Pogba will feature again for the Serie A side when asked about the news.

Juventus boss Thiago Motta has appeared to pour cold water on Paul Pogba's potential return to the club

'The club will assess the situation and make a decision if necessary,’ the 42-year-old said on Saturday.

'Paul was a great player but he hasn’t played for a long time. All I’m thinking about is our match tomorrow, nothing else really matters as far as I’m concerned.’

Motta was appointed Juventus boss in June, nearly a year after Pogba was initially sanctioned.

Pogba released a statement in which the French World Cup winner celebrated the end of 'the nightmare'. 

'Finally the nightmare is over.

'Following the decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, I can look forward to the day when I can follow my dreams again.

'I always stated that I never knowingly breached World Anti-Doping Agency regulations when I took a nutritional supplement prescribed to me by a doctor, which does not affect or enhance the performance of male athletes.

'I play with integrity, and although I must accept that this is a strict liability offence, I want to place on record my thanks to the Court of Arbitration for Sport's judges who heard my explanation.

'This has been a hugely distressing period in my life because everything I have worked so hard for has been put on hold.'

Pogba was initially handed a four-year ban after testing positive for banned substance DHEA following Juve's Serie A opener against Udinese last season.

The former France international returned to the Old Lady in the summer of 2022 after making more than 200 appearances in all competitions in his second stint at Manchester United.

His first season back in Serie A was curtailed by a series of injuries that saw him watch much of the campaign from the sidelines and forced him to miss France's run to the final of the 2022 World Cup.

Pogba's current contract at Juventus is set to expire at the end of the 2025/26 season.

Source: dailymail.co.uk

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5 hours ago - Juventus coach Thiago Motta has not revealed any intention to introduce Paul Pogba into the squad after the French midfielder's ban was reduced from four years to 18 months.
1 month ago - Juventus were held to a goalless draw by Roma on Sunday, ending Thiago Motta's perfect start as coach of the Serie A giants.
2 weeks ago - Juventus and Napoli played out a goalless draw on Saturday as two teams tipped to challenge for the Serie A title cancelled each other out on Antonio Conte's return to his old stomping ground.
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