‘I understand the concern’ – Sébastien Pocognoli confirms Paul Pogba’s absence from Monaco’s Coupe de France tie | OneFootball

Despite making his return at the end of November, Paul Pogba’s (32) minutes since have been limited. His debut came off the bench against Stade Rennais. He then came off the bench a week later, against Paris Saint-Germain, and then once again against Stade Brestois. 

However, he has yet to make his debut in the UEFA Champions League. Pogba missed the win against Galatasaray due to a minor knee issue during the warm-up and he then missed the match against Olympique de Marseille (14/12/25) due to a minor calf injury sustained during training. 

He won’t feature against AJ Auxerre in the Coupe de France on Sunday either, Sébastien Pocognoli confirmed in Friday’s press conference. The Monaco manager evoked La Pioche’s latest setback. 

“To have come back from where he was and to play again is already spectacular. But right now, I can’t look towards the future. He is working, and we are there to support him. I understand the concern but I can’t worry about that. I manage the team, and Paul is a part of what I want to put in place, as soon as he is ready to help us,” said Pocognoli.

Pogba will now have to wait until the start of 2026 to make his comeback. The Principality club’s next game after Auxerre comes on 3rd January, when they host Olympique Lyonnais at the Stade Louis II.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle