This time, on the face of Paul Pogba, even the irreducible Gascon smile has faded, a distinctive trait of an exuberant character which however also represents the main strength of the Frenchman in times of difficulty. And the Octopus has lived through many difficult days in recent years, although perhaps never as bitter as the current ones. In which, in fact, he also lost his good mood. The most faithful fresco of his state of mind was outlined yesterday morning, as he left the J Medical, after the checks following the adductor discomfort found in the finish before the commitment with Sampdoria. Waiting for him, in the square in front of the medical centre, was a swarm of Juventus fans, to whom Pogba apologized when he went straight ahead, evading the selfies and autographs: “I’m really not thinking about it”, he whispered as he climbed into the car and walked away with the verdict of the exams already in his pocket. “Low-grade injury to the adductor of the right thigh, the rehabilitation process aimed at resuming competitive activity has already begun”, a statement from the club would have ruled shortly thereafter.
Morals at a minimum
The mishap, the umpteenth from the summer crack to the meniscus and above all from the player’s decision to initially opt for conservative therapy in the hope of being protagonist at the World Cup with France, threw the number 10 of the Juventus. Already back from several slowdowns compared to the recovery table drawn up at the end of July and now grappling with a new stop that will keep him away from the fields for at least 20-30 days. In short, he will talk about it again after the break, and it is by no means certain that the Frenchman will be available for a crucial point in the season such as the first leg of the semi-final of the Coppa Italia against Inter (April 4). In short, the Octopus must be found. But, if until a few days ago the hope was to “only” have to restore the athletic condition of the footballer, now the certainty is that the morale of the boy must also be rebuilt, who will blow out thirty candles on his birthday cake tomorrow.