Paul Pogba provisionally suspended for anti-doping offence

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Paul Pogba provisionally suspended for anti-doping offence

Paul Pogba has been suspended from playing after Italy's national anti-doping tribunal revealed the Juventus midfielder returned a test with higher levels of testosterone.

The France international was an unused substitute during the game at Udinese on 20 August when he was selected at random for post-match testing.

A statement from Juve reads: "Juventus Football Club announces that today, September 11, 2023, the footballer Paul Labile Pogba received a precautionary suspension order from the National Anti-Doping Tribunal following the results of tests carried out on August 20, 2023.

"The club reserves the right to consider the next procedural steps."

Pogba will now endure a trial and the testing of a back-up 'B' sample. He risks a suspension of two to four years if found guilty of using testosterone, a hormone which increases athletes' endurance.

The 30-year-old has struggled to maintain fitness in recent years, leaving Manchester United upon the expiry in the summer to return to Turin. However, he has managed only 51 minutes as a substitute so far this season.

The start of his second spell with Juve started with a knee injury after arriving on pre-season tour, opting against surgery in the hope of reaching the 2022 World Cup. However, the midfielder didn't make it to Qatar and a muscle strain delayed his comeback further until 28 February.

Pogba was not included in Didier Deschamps' France squad for the September international fixtures and hasn't played for Les Bleus since a friendly against South Africa in March 2022.