Paul Pogba could be set to miss the World Cup after deciding to undergo surgery on a troublesome knee injury, Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri has confirmed.
Pogba ended a six-year spell at Manchester United to return to Turin in July but has yet to play a competitive game during his second Bianconeri spell after injuring his meniscus.
The midfielder, who was a key part of France's 2018 World Cup-winning side, initially opted for therapy over surgery in a bid to ease his injury woes ahead of the tournament in Qatar, which begins in November.
But speaking ahead of Juventus' Champions League group-stage trip to Paris Saint-Germain, Allegri revealed the 29-year-old will now go under the knife, casting doubt over his chances of featuring in Qatar.
"I have to count on having him back in January. Whether he plays the World Cup or not isn't my problem," Allegri said on Monday.
"This morning he trained for the second time, but then stopped, and it was then decided that he will undergo surgery.
"I hope we get him back before the World Cup. But there are [less than three months] to go until it starts.
"The World Cup isn't my problem. Juventus is, which returns in January.
"Pogba had made a conservative choice, we will get him back in January. It will hardly be before November, we need to be realistic."
However, Allegri claims he is not irritated by Pogba's initial doubts over the procedure, which has essentially set the midfielder's recovery back by over a month.
"From here you look forward," he said. "The past does not change, if you make a decision it is right, then you see if it was done well or badly.
"We do not think about whether we might have done it. Now let's think about having a good game [on Tuesday]."
While Pogba will be unable to make the trip to his home country to feature at the Parc des Princes, Juventus will also be without former PSG winger Angel Di Maria as he continues to battle a calf injury.
Allegri highlighted the need to manage the Argentinian's workload, adding: "I made him play against Spezia because a shock was needed. On Sunday [against Fiorentina] he was better.
"Taking him with us to Paris and risking him for a match with many important matches between now and November… no. Otherwise he loses his physical condition, he would be of no use."
Brazil legend Marta to retire from international football
Brazil star Marta has announced she will retire from international football at the end of 2024.
The 38-year-old is the all-time highest scorer for Brazil, netting 116 goals in 175 matches for the national team.
She is also the top-scorer in the Women’s World Cup with 17 goals, finishing as a runner-up in 2007 when Brazil lost in the final to Germany.
The forward has won three Copa America Femenina titles and was part of the Brazil team that won silver medals at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics.
Marta could make her sixth appearance for Brazil at this year's Games if she is selected in the squad at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
"If I go to the Olympics, I will enjoy every moment, because, regardless of whether I go to the Olympics or not, this is my last year with the national team," Marta told CNN in an interview on Thursday.
"There will be no more Marta from 2025 in the national team as an athlete.
"I am very calm about this because I see with great optimism this development that we are having in relation to young athletes."
Al Hilal 3-1 Al Fateh: Neves on target as Saudi giants close in on title
Al Hilal moved 12 points clear of Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr at the top of the Saudi Pro League as Ruben Neves scored in a 3-1 win over Al Fateh on Friday.
Former Wolves star Neves slotted in from the penalty spot in the 74th minute, as Al Hilal completed a rapid comeback.
Having fallen behind to Lucas Zelarayan's 57th-minute opener, Al Hilal responded swiftly through Micheal before Salem Al Najdi fouled Mohammed Al Qahtani in the penalty area.
Ex-Barcelona winger Cristian Trello and Al Fateh coach Slaven Bilic were booked for their complaints, with Neves making no mistake, paving the way for Ali Al Bulayhi to seal victory in the 15th minute of an extended period of stoppage time.
Data Debrief
Al Hilal have now won 21 games on the spin in the league. They have scored 86 goals across their 28 matches this season, winning 26 in total.
They had 19 shots on Friday, accumulating 2.34 xG to Al Fateh's 0.25, with pass-master Neves creating three chances to go along with his goal.
RFEF elects Rocha as new president
The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has confirmed Pedro Rocha as its new president.
Rocha has been elected as Luis Rubiales' replacement, despite being under investigation for corruption.
He had been serving as interim president since Rubiales resigned in September over the scandal caused when he kissed player Jenni Hermoso following Spain's Women's World Cup triumph in August.
In a statement released on Friday, the RFEF said: "Pedro Rocha has today been proclaimed the new president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), after having received the support of the majority of the assembly members of this institution that governs Spanish football.
"The process followed the procedure agreed by the Electoral Commission, which met this morning, and the timetable that was established for these elections."
Rocha has been under investigation since earlier in April, after the RFEF's headquarters was raided by police last month. The Spanish government announced on Thursday that it would be stepping in to oversee the running of the organisation.
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