PAUL POGBA was consoled on the bench after being hauled off before Manchester United sneaked a late Champions League comeback draw.
Below-par Pogba and Victor Lindelof – surprisingly playing at right-back – were the first two of FIVE players substituted as Anthony Elanga came on to equalise from United’s first shot on target away to Atletico Madrid.
Midfielder Pogba’s Old Trafford future is in doubt amid reports the Red Devils are eying replacements for when his contract expires this summer.
And the French World Cup hero stared straight ahead as he was patted on the back while he sat in the dugout following his disappointing 66 minutes.
Some fans on social media labelled his performance ‘shocking’ and one fan dubbed it ‘the worst I’ve seen’.
But others rated it ‘mixed’ and pointed out Pogba has just returned after three months out with a thigh injury.
That means interim boss Ralf Rangnick will surely not be expecting great things too soon.
But a last-16 tie is too important to ease players back.
@font-face{font-family:’The Sun’;src:url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-Regular.woff2’) format(‘woff2’),url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-Regular.woff’) format(‘woff’),url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-Regular.ttf’) format(‘truetype’),url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-Regular.svg#’) format(‘svg’);font-style:normal;font-weight:400;font-display:swap;}@font-face{font-family:’The Sun’;src:url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-Medium.woff2’) format(‘woff2’),url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-Medium.woff’) format(‘woff’),url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-Medium.ttf’) format(‘truetype’),url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-Medium.svg#’) format(‘svg’);font-style:normal;font-weight:500;font-display:swap;}@font-face{font-family:’The Sun’;src:url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-HeavyNarrow.woff2’) format(‘woff2’),url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-HeavyNarrow.woff’) format(‘woff’),url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-HeavyNarrow.ttf’) format(‘truetype’),url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-HeavyNarrow.svg#’) format(‘svg’);font-style:normal;font-weight:400;font-stretch:semi-condensed;font-display:swap;}@font-face{font-family:’The Sun’;src:url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-Bold.woff2’) format(‘woff2’),url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-Bold.woff’) format(‘woff’),url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-Bold.ttf’) format(‘truetype’),url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-Bold.svg#’) format(‘svg’);font-style:normal;font-weight:700;font-stretch:normal;font-display:swap;}@font-face{font-family:’The Sun’;src:url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-HeavyNarrow.woff2’) format(‘woff2’),url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-HeavyNarrow.woff’) format(‘woff’),url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-HeavyNarrow.ttf’) format(‘truetype’),url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-HeavyNarrow.svg#’) format(‘svg’);font-style:normal;font-weight:700;font-stretch:condensed;font-display:swap;}.css-qu9fel{border-top:1px solid #dcdddd;}.css-b9nmbi{margin-bottom:16px;border-top:1px solid #dcdddd;}
Most read in Football
.css-1gojmfd{margin-bottom:16px;}
FREE BETS: GET OVER £2,000 IN NEW CUSTOMER DEALS
And Atletico were controlling possession after Joao Felix headed Diego Simeone’s men in front early on.
Rangnick brought on anchorman Nemanja Matic for Pogba and full-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka for Lindelof.
Alex Telles and Elanga then replaced Luke Shaw and Marcus Rashford respectively.
And Elanga nipped onto Bruno Fernandes’ pass to drill home on 80 minutes.
Another midfielder who, like Pogba, could depart this summer came on – Jesse Lingard substituting for Jadon Sancho – as United clung on for a useful first-leg stalemate.
⚽ Read our Manchester United live blog for the latest news and transfer gossip from Old Trafford
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk