Pogba hopeful of Man Utd return before end of the season

Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba has said he will "hopefully" return from injury before the end of the season.

Pogba sustained a calf problem in the 4-0 defeat at Liverpool on Tuesday that is expected to keep him out for a month.

United interim manager Ralf Rangnick had said on Friday he believed Pogba would not feature again this season, adding that he "most likely won't be" staying at the club beyond this campaign.

The France star is out of contract at the end of the season, and United's final game of 2021-22 is on May 22.

"He won’t be available [at Arsenal] and most likely not for the rest of the games. It seems right now he will not renew his contract [so] it's most likely he won't be here any more next season," Rangnick said at a news conference.

However, Pogba – who has been linked with a move to Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and former club Juventus in recent weeks – posted on social media during his team's 3-1 defeat at Arsenal to explain that he is still aiming to play again before the campaign ends.

"Absolutely gutted to not be able to help the team in today's game," he wrote. "I will work even harder to come back stronger and hopefully before the end of the season. It's not over. 

"Thank you all for your support, United we would stand!"

The 29-year-old won the World Cup with France in 2018, playing a starring role in that Les Bleus team, but has struggled to play at a consistently high level for United since returning to the Premier League club in 2016.