Pogba Nears Start in Metz Vs Monaco for Saturday's Ligue 1 Match

Paul Pogba is expected to start for AS Monaco against Metz in metz vs monaco on Saturday at 19h, a notable shift for a player who has spent almost all of his season work off the bench. The 33-year-old has made only five substitute appearances since joining Monaco in the summer of 2024, and he has played 57 minutes in total.

Pogba and Pocognoli

Sébastien Pocognoli is expected to use Pogba in front of the defense in his usual position for the 32nd round of Ligue 1. That would put him back in the starting lineup for the first time in more than three years, after a stretch shaped by injuries and a doping suspension.

The move would also restore Monaco to a more familiar midfield balance, with Denis Zakaria and Lamine Camara listed as possible partners around him. Pogba has not started a match since Juventus Turin faced Cremonese, which is the last time he was in a lineup from the opening whistle.

Monaco at Metz

The setting is Lorraine, where Monaco travel for a league match that now carries a personal marker for Pogba as much as a team selection note for the coach. If he starts, it will be a clear step beyond the five brief substitute appearances he has logged since arriving last summer.

For Monaco, the decision would show that Pocognoli is ready to trust a 33-year-old midfielder who has not yet reached his best level in club colors. For Pogba, it is the first real chance to turn limited minutes into a longer run in the side, and the lineup will tell that story before the first whistle.