It will be a ‘MIRACLE’ if Paul Pogba can return to the top level, Emmanuel Petit claims – as the former Man United midfielder nears playing comeback after doping ban

Former France World Cup winner Emmanuel Petit has said he is ‘happy’ for Paul Pogba after his doping ban was curtailed, but claimed it would be a ‘miracle’ if he can return to the top level.

Pogba was facing retirement when he was handed a four-year ban from football, but the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled earlier this month that he had accidentally taken DHEA, a substance that increases testosterone and is on the WADA banned list.

It is understood that the CAS ruling will allow Pogba to resume training in January 2025, with the aim of playing again in March of the same year.

Fans are now waiting to see where the former Manchester United midfielder will play. He is believed to be in negotiations to leave Juventus – the club he is under contract with and for which he last played.

And Petit, who, like Pogba, is a former World Cup winner with France, told this exclusively on behalf of Mail Sport BetBrain that he would be surprised if the 31-year-old’s career continued with a top team.

Pogba is nearing a return to action after seeing his doping ban reduced from four years to 18 months

Petit (pictured) said he is ‘happy’ for Pogba but challenged him to return to the top of the game

“I’m very happy for him, very happy for him,” he began. “But he’s 31 or 32 now, something like that. The last time he played a real match was a year ago, in September.

‘For me it will be a miracle if he can return to the highest level. He has the quality as a footballer. Can he as a person get the energy to meet expectations? I’m not really convinced of that.

‘What happened in his private life was an earthquake. I don’t think many people will have survived what he went through, with his brothers and his friends. Can you imagine what happened to him? Now you can understand why he wasn’t really good at Manchester United. He was sometimes lost on the field. But I can understand what happened to him.’

Pogba’s brother and five other men will reportedly stand trial in an alleged extortion case targeting the Frenchman two years ago.

Pogba filed a complaint after he was kidnapped and robbed by two unidentified masked and armed men in Paris in March 2022, who demanded 13 million euros for “protection services.”

Following the original threat, the group is said to have repeatedly intimidated Pogba, claiming he did not support them after becoming an international star, into making him pay. Le Parisien.

And after two years of investigation, the Paris prosecutor’s office confirmed that Mathias Pogba and the five men would stand trial.

Petit added: “If my brother betrayed me… I mean, football is important, but life is more important, and we are talking about life.

‘I hope I’m wrong. Honestly, because I like him, I like his personality, and I like the player too, but it will be a big miracle if he returns to the top level. Honestly, I wish him the best, but the damage from what happened is terrible, honestly, terrible.

‘I’m not sure you in England understand exactly what happened Pogba over the last two or three years. It’s nonsense. I’ve never seen that before.’

Pogba won the World Cup with France but has had a mixed career and it is unclear where he will play next

He is believed to be in negotiations to terminate his contract with Juventus before his return

Mathias Pogba (left) is part of a group of men set to stand trial for allegedly kidnapping and robbing the midfielder

Petit also commented on France captain Kylian Mbappe, who is at war with former Paris Saint-Germain after leaving the club for Real Madrid on a free transfer this summer.

PSG are set to take their pay dispute with Mbappe to court after the French Football League’s governing body (LFP) ruled in the forward’s favour.

French media report that the 25-year-old, who has not commented on the dispute, is demanding around 55 million euros (£46 million) in salary and bonuses that he says he owes the club.

However, the Ligue 1 champions say Mbappe’s contract has been ‘legally modified’ and that he reneged on his obligations when he left the club to join Madrid.

He has also been the subject of controversy in France in recent weeks after being criticized in his home country for missing the Nations League matches against Israel and Belgium while available to play for Real Madrid.

The attacker suffered a muscle injury last month, but returned to the field just before the international break.

Although his teammates have jumped to his defence, Petit has insisted his reputation has been on the rise since leaving for Spain.

Petit also discussed Mbappe, who left France and Paris Saint-Germain to join Real Madrid

Petit said Mbappe’s ‘image’ in France is ‘going down’ after exit and amid national team problems

“In one year his image has gone downhill,” he said. ‘A year ago he was the most important man here in France. Everyone loved him. But whatever happened with PSG, whatever happened in the national team, the struggle, he was not there.

‘His image in France has not been good at all for at least a year, and it is deteriorating every week.

‘He knows he is under a lot of pressure at Real Madrid, the biggest club in the world. He knows the expectation there. And this is probably Mbappé’s priority. Mbappé is actually more focused on Real Madrid than the national team.

“And I can honestly understand that, but he has to be very, very careful because in France his image is not good at all.”