Juventus ace Paul Pogba has opened up on his season-long injury struggles upon his blockbuster return to Serie A last summer. The 30-year-old endured an injury-puzzled returning campaign in Turin, casting doubt on his long-term prospects at the Allianz Stadium.
One injury setback after another restricted the French playmaker to only six league appearances in 2022/23. After barely overcoming a long-term knee injury that nailed him to the sidelines for the entire first half of the season, Pogba’s highly-anticipated return was supposed to give Juventus a breath of fresh air down the final stretch.
However, when it seemed like he was on course to regaining full fitness, the ex-Manchester United flop suffered a season-ending hamstring injury. Pogba’s proneness to injuries has raised more than a few eyebrows among the Juventus faithful. Given his massive contract package, the World Cup winner did nothing to justify his wages last season.
Pogba maintains his recurring fitness problems have had a negative impact on his state of mind. With his future at Juventus still up in the air, the Frenchman insists the last few months have challenged his mental fortitude. But he doesn’t give up hope that he’ll return to his best next season.
“It was the biggest test of my life,” Pogba told French outlet Views. “It’s made me grow a lot. These last few months have made me grow enormously, they have made me understand many things about life.
“I’ve aged ten years [laughs]. I’ve aged ten years in the space of seven months! And as I’ve said, that can only be good for me, because I’m looking at things positively.
“I’m a believer so I see these things as stages and tests. They’re tests that have helped me grow, where I’ve matured and learnt a lot of things about life. I’ve learnt what the important things are.
“So I’ve been taking it positively and that’s been a boost for me. Honestly, now, it’s all behind me.“
Pogba may recover before the start of the 2023/24 campaign. But following an underwhelming seventh-place finish last term, Juventus won’t compete in the Champions League next season. Instead, the midfielder will get to taste the Europa Conference League.
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