Former Manchester United and Juventus star Paul Pogba is closing in on his Monaco debut but there are other concerns facing the Ligue 1 club during a sticky patch of form
Paul Pogba has yet to make an appearance for new club Monaco but might not get a chance to feature under the manager who brought him to Stade Louis II. Adi Hutter’s job is at risk despite securing Champions League qualification last term, it has been claimed.
Austrian coach Hutter began the season with four league wins from five, with Pogba’s fellow new signing Ansu Fati impressing. Things have taken a turn for the worse, though, with a 4-1 Champions League loss at Club Brugge followed by a pair of winless games in Ligue 1.
According to L’Equipe (via GFFN), Monaco are now weighing up alternatives for the head coach position. Former Borussia Dortmund boss Edin Terzic is among those to be linked, having left the Bundesliga side after their run to the 2024 Champions League final.
After losing to Lorient at the end of September, Hutter’s team rescued a late point against Manchester City in a midweek European clash. They were unable to respond with a league win, though, drawing at home to Nice despite playing with an extra man for nearly an hour after the visitors had Ali Abdi sent off.
“We didn’t find the right solutions to find the final goal,” Hutter told reporters after the 2-2 draw on Sunday. “I am not 100% satisfied […] at the moment, we are not 100% happy. When the players are back, we will be better.”
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Pogba is one of those players close to a return. The French international joined Monaco in the summer after serving a doping ban, with that suspension reduced on appeal, but is not yet at full match fitness after two years out of the game.
He could be in contention to feature when his team returns to action after the international break with a league game against Angers on the horizon. Failing that, his long hiatus may end against Tottenham in the Champions League.
“He is doing more and more with the team,” Hutter said of Pogba before the Nice clash. “Our goal was for him to maybe in the squad for Nice, but it is a bit too early. Against Angers, I hope he can be a part of the squad. I think he can be ready to face Angers… but it could be the match after.
“It is in my mind how to increase the load, maybe [by playing him] in a match, [with] 15/20 minutes against Angers,” the manager added. “He is already in the dressing room, even if he doesn’t wear the shirt. He has been in the dressing room in the past matches to encourage us, giving instructions to the young players, and they like having someone in the dressing room who has won everything.”
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