Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri has admitted that he doesn't know when Paul Pogba will be available for selection as the midfielder's injury nightmare continues.
Pogba, 29, agreed to return to Turin for a second spell with Juventus after running down his contract at Manchester United but has failed to make a single appearance this season due to a meniscus injury.
The France international, who missed out on the World Cup due to the injury, underwent surgery and was believed to be closing in on a return to action earlier this month. However, it was revealed that Pogba was struggling with a hip flexor problem prior to the Italian giants' Coppa Italia quarter-final victory over Lazio.
Now Allegri has issued another update on the playmaker - and it's not good news.
Speaking in a press conference ahead of this weekend's match against Fiorentina, the Juve boss admitted that the club's marquee summer signing was still not ready to feature - and that it was impossible to gauge when he might return.
Allegri said: "Pogba cannot be called up, he’s still out at the moment. He’s not there, I’m sorry to say it but that’s the reality. He’s working to be available again, [but] right now I can’t tell you when he’ll be back. Maybe in 20 days, I don’t know."
Pogba's extended stint on the sidelines has tarnished his fairytale return to Juventus. The midfielder enjoyed a fruitful four year spell in Italy after walking out on Manchester United as a youngster and was an influential figure in a team that won four consecutive Scudetto's before he was eventually lured back to Old Trafford in the summer of 2016.
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After his second stint at Manchester United turned sour, Pogba admitted that he was hoping a return to Turin could help him rekindle his love for the game.
"I want to rediscover my joy of playing football," he said upon his return in the summer. "My heart decided for me and I am sure that I made the right decision, this jersey is everything for me. I feel great, it's an atmosphere I cannot define. Juventus gave me the opportunity to be Pogba. Now I want to give back that joy, bringing trophies to a club that deserves only to win."
While it's been a tough campaign for Pogba, the midfielder's new club have also endured struggles of their own - both on and off the pitch.
The Italian giants have already crashed out of the Champions League and are mired in mid-table in Serie A following a 15-point deduction for alleged financial irregularities and false accounting in relation to historic transfer dealings.
