Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Paul Pogba was named in Manchester United’s starting XI for Friday’s Premier League home game with Southampton following his record-breaking return to the club from Juventus.
Pogba, who has not played since France’s 1-0 loss to Portugal in the Euro 2016 final on July 10, replaced Ander Herrera in the only change to the team that started last weekend’s 3-1 win at Bournemouth.
He has been training with his new team-mates for around 10 days, but manager Jose Mourinho said on Thursday that he is not capable of playing for 90 minutes or producing a “super performance”.
Pogba, 23, returned to United last week in a world-record 89 million pounds (105 million euros, $116 million) transfer from Juventus.
He left United in 2012 after failing to break into the first team under former manager Alex Ferguson.
It is four years, five months and one day since his last appearance for United, as a second-half substitute in a 5-0 Premier League win at Wolverhampton Wanderers in March 2012.
A picture of Pogba in a red United shirt adorned the front of the match-day programme.
Vendors outside the stadium were selling Pogba scarves, while several fans sported United shirts with ‘POGBA 6’ on the back.
As well as Pogba’s second debut, Friday’s game also represents a first competitive United home outing for Mourinho and new signings Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Eric Bailly.
