Pogba Returns in Monaco Loss After Two-Year Absence

Paul Pogba returned to competitive football after more than two years on the sidelines, making a brief substitute appearance for AS Monaco in a 4-1 Ligue 1 defeat to Rennes on Saturday at Roazhon Park.

The 32-year-old Frenchman entered the match in the 85th minute, replacing Mamadou Coulibaly with Monaco already trailing 4-0 and reduced to 10 men following Denis Zakaria's red card. Pogba played about five minutes plus stoppage time, completing 14 of 15 passes and winning all his duels in a composed display from midfield. Despite the loss, he received a standing ovation from the home crowd upon entering and again after the final whistle. Rennes had taken the lead through goals from Abdelhamid Ait Boudlal and Mahdi Camara before Zakaria's dismissal, with Breel Embolo and Ludovic Blas adding further strikes via a penalty. Monaco pulled one back late through Mika Biereth.

Pogba's debut marked his first action since September 3, 2023, when he last played for Juventus in a Serie A win over Empoli. His absence stemmed from a doping violation after testing positive for DHEA, a substance that boosts testosterone levels, following a match in August 2023. Italy's anti-doping court...