Paul Pogba on target for Monaco in friendly defeat to Brentford U23s | OneFootball

Paul Pogba took a step towards fitness, the 33-year-old scoring the opener in a behind-closed-doors friendly as Monaco lost 2-1 to Brentford’s U23s. Eric Dier also featured.

The game was held at the club’s La Turbie training base on Thursday. According to Get French Football News, the midfielder is nearing a return to fitness after rejoining first-team training last week.

He signed for Monaco in the summer on a two-year deal. Having missed two years due to a doping ban, he made only three short substitute appearances before suffering a calf injury at the start of December.

This international break had been billed as a crucial fortnight for his recovery and he now appears on schedule to return to the fold.

Monaco’s first match after the break is against Olympique de Marseille. With seven Ligue 1 games remaining, the Principality side are sixth, three points behind third-placed Marseille.

Source: Get French Football News