Pogba suspended from Manchester United debut

The English Football Association has announced that Paul Pogba would miss Sunday’s opening match through suspension.

Pogba was supposed to make his Manchester United debut at Bournemouth but now will be delayed by a week.

United had secured Pogba’s return to Old Trafford to great fanfare earlier this week, signing him from Juventus in an £89 million move.

But his second debut for the club will not come on the south coast after the Football Association listed him among four players to be banned for the opening weekend.

The FA used Twitter to say that the ban relates to two yellow cards issued in last season’s Coppa Italia. 

The second card came in the final, which was his last game for Juventus.

His debut is now likely to be against Southampton, at Old Trafford, next Friday.

United boss Jose Mourinho admitted to Eurosport he did not know when signing Pogba that he would miss the season opener and only received confirmation on Wednesday.

Asked at his pre-match press conference when he found out, Mourinho said: “Two days ago.

“I knew the situation with the yellow cards but I didn’t know at that time if an accumulation of yellow cards (in Italy) would bring a player suspension (in England).

“I didn’t know if a suspension from Italian football would be for the corresponding competition in England, which would be the first FA Cup match. I didn’t know so I was waiting for the decision.”

The Portuguese was in no mood to elaborate on the record signing’s absence, though.

“I don’t speak about him. He’s suspended,” he said.

“I don’t speak about suspended players or injured players, I speak only about the ones that are ready to play.

“So I forget Paul for a few days.”

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