Paul Pogba was seen limping through the mixed zone and apparently winced when asked about his injury following Manchester United’s defeat to Newcastle United on Sunday.
The Frenchman pulled up and winced after taking a shot in the warm up and, despite usually being one of the last, went down the tunnel before anyone else, casting doubt over whether he would start against the Magpies.
He did manage to start but was clearly miles below his best, ambling through the game and losing the ball on several occasions before being hooked off after 65 minutes.
And while Jose Mourinho insisted after the game that Pogba had “no problems”, Press Association’s Simon Peach managed to capture a video which hints towards the exact opposite.
#MUFC midfielder Paul Pogba limped through the mixed zone (not particularly clear in this video). Despite appearing to be in some discomfort, still stopped to have pictures with kids. Winced when asked how he was pic.twitter.com/MeUSgatrgR
— Simon Peach (@SimonPeach) February 11, 2018
There was plenty that didn’t make much sense at St James’ Park: Mourinho’s decision to use a system that has failed them on numerous occasions already this season, along with the use of the same back four which crumbled at Wembley, are just a couple of examples.
But perhaps the most ludicrous of all was the decision to keep Pogba on the pitch despite it being clear that the Frenchman was operating at about 60 per cent.
This was notably different from performances criticised in the past. Even then, the 24-year-old always wanted the ball, always felt involved, determined to bend the game in United’s favour.
Against Newcastle, however, he seemed to float through the encounter like a ghost, barely noticeable at times, his mind and body clearly not in step with the game like usual. Supporters will only hope to see a replenished, fully-fit Pogba next time around.