Pranav Nair
Player News: Ralf Rangnick keen to link up with Manchester United star Paul Pogba
According to the club’s official website, interim manager, Ralf Rangnick has revealed that he is in touch with Manchester United star Paul Pogba over the phone.
The 63-year-old will meet with the French superstar on Sunday once he returns to the United Kingdom. Pogba, who injured himself while on international duty, has been recovering in Dubai.
Rangnick appears to be keen to link up with the 28-year-old once he returns. Hopefully, it will be the start of a fruitful partnership at the Theatre of Dreams. The fact that the duo appears to be in touch over the phone is a welcome sign.
“He’s still in Dubai and is due to come back today and then we’ll get to know each other in person on Sunday but we had a telephone call for about 10-15 minutes.”
Rangnick went on to give a positive update on the Frenchman’s injury. While Pogba is recovering well, he is still some way away from returning to action. There appears to be optimism that he might be available for training post-Christmas or the New Year.
With games coming thick and fast, it is imperative that we have our best players available. Hopefully, working under Rangnick is what the 28-year-old needs to fulfil his potential.
“From what I’ve heard so far, it’ll take another couple of weeks until he’s fit for training again.”
The Man United boss is in no hurry to rush Pogba back. If Rangnick is to be believed, the Red Devils will only get to see the Frenchman in action next year. The veteran manager is keen to ensure that his man is up to speed before throwing him on at the far end.
“It will take him another couple of weeks to get him match fit but in the first instance it’s important for him to become fully fit, to be able to train with the rest of the group and then we have to develop him physically and tactically to be also fit to play in the Premier League.”
It speaks volumes about Rangnick’s management style that he is willing to wait for his player to regain fitness and prepare before using him on the field. In some ways, it does justice to his moniker of ‘the professor’. There appears to be no stone unturned in the German’s management style and it remains to be seen how Pogba responds to it.
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Pogba is currently in the final few months of his contract at Old Trafford. Whether he will stay put or leave on a free at the end of the season remains to be seen but if he does depart now, it’s safe to say we never really got to witness the best version of the midfielder- the one who took Juventus by storm and won the FIFA World Cup with France in 2018.
