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Paul Pogba made his long awaited second debut for Juventus last night, in Serie A.
As reported in calciomercato.com, Pogba came on a substitute just before the hour mark in Juve’s 4-2 derby victory against Torino.
Juventus were made to work for their win, having to come from behind twice before eventually seeing off their spirited neighbours.
The score was level at two a piece before Pogba was introduced, to the excitement and applause of the home faithful, who roared their side on to victory.
The Frenchman didn’t have a direct impact on either goal but his presence certainly lifted the atmosphere and he will be mightily relieved to get some minutes under his belt.
A knee injury picked up in pre-season has kept him sidelined for the whole season, since his switch from Manchester United in the summer.
Similar injury issues plagued Pogba’s last few years at United and the club’s reluctance to offer the midfielder a contract he was happy with, was likely based on his inability to stay fit for a full term.
In the end, Pogba left Manchester for Turin for free for the second time in his career.
When in full cry, the Paul Pogba circus and everything that comes with it can be hard to stop. His impact on the crowd as well as his undoubted quality, can win games single-handedly.
However, these moments have been few and far between since his starring role in France’s World Cup triumph, back in 2018.
Given Juventus’ fifteen point deduction in Serie A, the best chance of glory for The Old Lady this season, lies in the Europa League.
A Europa League which could see them paired with United in the later rounds, and with that, a chance for a reunion for Pogba and the club.
Both sides will need to navigate their way through the Round-of-16 before that draws closer but both will have their eye on the final in Budapest, at the end of the season.
For now, Pogba will just be hoping to keep himself available for Max Allegri, as Juventus need all hands on deck to save their season.