Paul Pogba could be ruled out of this year’s World Cup in Qatar with a knee injury he suffered in training.
Pogba, who officially rejoined Juventus earlier this month, will visit a specialist consultant to determine what treatment is needed.
The former Manchester United star has been diagnosed with a tear of the lateral meniscus in his right knee after limping off the training field in Los Angeles last week.
The 29-year-old was expected to have surgery while in the United States instead of travelling with the Serie Agiants as they continue their pre-season tour.
The 2018 World Cup winner, who only returned to Juve just two weeks ago, has instead flown back to Italy to see a specialist.
According to La Gazetta dello Sport there are two potential approaches for his injury and one could see him miss the World Cup as it may keep the midfielder on the sidelines until 2023.
One option would be to remove a piece of the meniscus, which would rule Pogba out for 40 to 60 days roughly, but that operation is suited to younger players and could affect his mobility.
The other option would be to suture the lesion, but that could require a lengthy four to five months on the sidelines, and with the World Cup fast approaching in November and December it would seem unlikely that he would feature for France.
Pogba will now visit a specialist before making a decision on what approach to take with his latest injury.
The Italian giants put out a statement prior to his return to Italy, which read: ‘Following complaining of pain in his right knee, Paul Pogba underwent radiological examinations that revealed a lesion of the lateral meniscus.
“In the next few hours he will undergo a specialist orthopedic consultation.
“Therefore, in order to continue treatment, he is not taking part in the trip to Dallas.”