PAUL POGBA is set to be ruled out of the World Cup later this year after agreeing to undergo knee surgery.
The Juventus midfielder, 29, played a major part in France lifting the trophy in Russia four years ago.
Along with the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Antoine Griezmann and Raphael Varane, the midfielder inspired his country to World Cup glory for just the second time in their history.
But any hopes of repeating the feat in Qatar at the end of 2022 now appear to have been scuppered.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Pogba has agreed with Juventus to undergo meniscus surgery.
This is expected to rule him out of the tournament which begins on November 20.
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Pogba joined Juventus on a free transfer this summer after his Manchester United contract expired.
But he has not yet played a game in his second spell with the Serie A giants and looks to be facing more time on the sidelines following his surgery.
It comes amid further turbulence in his personal life, with the Frenchman embroiled in a family feud with brother Mathias.
Pogba’s sibling claims the former Red Devils star paid for a witch doctor to curse Mbappe.
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Pogba has denied the claims, and in turn says he was held at gunpoint by an extortion gang, with Mathias being one of the plotters.
A criminal investigation is now underway in France after the gang allegedly demanded Pogba hand them £11million earlier this year.
After only being able to give £85,000, Pogba continued to be threatened by the gang as he moved from Manchester United to Juventus.
He eventually filed a criminal complaint through his lawyers.
And those accused, including brother Mathias, now face prison sentences of up to 20 years if found guilty.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk