France boss Didier Deschamps says Paul Pogba will be included in the World Cup squad ‘only if he is fully fit.’
The France international underwent meniscus surgery last week after following conservative therapy for a month, against Juventus‘ will.
“He won’t join us only for the sake of it,” Deschamps said after unveiling Les Blues’ squad list for their next two Nations League games which includes Pogba’s Juventus teammate Adrien Rabiot as well as Milan stars Theo Hernandez and Olivier Giroud.
“If he [Pogba] didn’t play earlier and is not fully fit, it would be useless. He also would not want it.”
Deschamps refused to comment on the family saga that saw Pogba’s brother Mathias placed under arrest as part of an extortion case.
It is still unclear how long the Juventus star will remain out of action, but Massimiliano Allegri has recently claimed Pogba won’t be available for the club until January 2023.
“It’s not my problem if he will play in the World Cup or not,” the coach said at the beginning of September.
Juventus had suggested Pogba immediately undergo surgery in August, but the player decided against going under the knife, following a conservative treatment that eventually didn’t work out.