10 March 2023 , 07:00
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Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri is clearly willing to draw a line under the recent storm surrounding midfielder Paul Pogba after joking about the Frenchman's latest controversy following the win over SC Freiburg.
The Italian giants met the Bundesliga outfit in the Europa League round-of-16, with an Angel Di Maria strike just shy of the hour mark enough to separate the two teams in the first leg. All the talk before the game was centred around one man who wasn't playing in Pogba, after the former Manchester United star was dropped for disciplinary reasons.
Pogba is thought to have arrived late to a team meal on Wednesday evening and that in the eyes of Allegri was enough to rule the France international out of this European tie.
The saga marks another blemish on Pogba's second spell at Juventus, which has gone drastically wrong so far due to a serious injury keeping the World Cup winner out for more than six months.
However, Allegri is seemingly not one to hold grudges as he joked about the situation with reporters following Thursday night's victory. “I think Pogba arrived on time tonight, so he will be available from tomorrow," he said, with a big grin.
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It was certainly a more lighthearted update than the one provided by Juventus' Chief Football Officer Francesco Calvo, who revealed that the club fined Pogba for his tardiness.
Paul Pogba was dropped for the first-leg of the Europa League clash against Freiburg for disciplinary reasons (Daniele Badolato - Juventus FC/Juventus FC via Getty Images)HAVE YOUR SAY! Did Pogba deserve to be fined and dropped for being late? Comment below
"He arrived late, and players, especially the most important ones, must respect the rules. It was correct not to include him in the team and fine him,” said Calvo.
"It’s a pleasure to play a European fixture like this one and we’ll put in full commitment. It’s hard for the team to find motivation and understand what they are playing for. It’s crucial to remain united and fight for the game."
Pogba was only two games into his recovery before this latest blow and would have liked to have been on hand to contribute in what was a vital game in Juventus' season.
As things stand, the ex-Old Trafford ace has played just 34 competitive minutes since his return to Turin last summer.
The Old Lady are desperate to secure qualification to the Champions League next season, a task which was made significantly harder by their 15-point deduction which was imposed after being charged with flouting Italian football's financial regulations.
As a result, winning the Europa League could be the club's best bet when it comes to returning to European club football's most prestigious competition next term.