Filipe Luis gives update on Pogba and Fati fitness
By Zak Jackson, MonacoViews Editorial
AS Monaco's head coach has addressed the absence of Paul Pogba and Ansu Fati from the club's last two pre-season fixtures.
Paul Pogba and Ansu Fati both missed AS Monaco's final two pre-season matches: a 2-0 defeat to Sporting and a 2-2 draw with Cercle Bruges on Friday 31 July. Fati had also sat out the opening friendly against Saint-Priest, while Pogba featured in the second half of that fixture before stepping back from the squad.
Head coach Filipe Luis, speaking after the draw with the Belgian side, was brief but measured on both players. Without detailing specific injuries, he made clear the club is taking no risks with either man, describing their management as a matter of careful attention rather than alarm.
For supporters watching the pre-season programme, the absences are worth monitoring. Pogba, the 2018 World Cup winner, and Fati, the Spain international, are both carrying significant expectations into the new campaign. How quickly Filipe Luis can integrate them into competitive action will be one of the defining questions of Monaco's early Ligue 1 schedule.