Ralf Rangnick gets tough on Paul Pogba’s recovery and insists ALL Manchester United players will now remain at the club for rehab and recovery after the Frenchman’s trip to Dubai to overcome his injury woes
- Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba has been sidelined with a thigh issue
- Pogba has been in Dubai for three weeks to get some treatment on the injury
- But from now on, United’s players will stay in Manchester for their recovery
- Rangnick insisted he won’t try and persuade players to stay who don’t want to
Just one week in the job and Ralf Rangnick certainly isn’t pulling any punches as Manchester United’s new interim manager.
Confronted with the thorny issue of Paul Pogba’s contract impasse on Friday, Rangnick insisted that he wouldn’t try to convince an unhappy player to stay.
Pressed on the subject of Pogba and his teammates rehabbing injuries abroad, Rangnick was equally unequivocal. From now on they will remain in Manchester and use the club’s medical facilities instead.
Ralf Rangnick has said United players with stay in Manchester now for recovery from injury
Paul Pogba flew back to Manchester on Friday after three weeks of rehabilitation work in Dubai
Pogba’s three-week sojourn in Dubai for treatment on a thigh injury is by no means the first time the Frenchman has jetted off to the sunshine to recuperate. Florida is another popular retreat.
When he spent three months out of action with an ankle problem two years ago, Pogba travelled to Dubai and then popped up in Miami where he posted a video of himself playing basketball with NBA star Jimmy Butler – followed by another of him dancing at his brother Florentin’s wedding in France.
It raised questions over United’s treatment of Pogba and policy of letting other players like Luke Shaw and Nemanja Matic recuperate in Dubai when the club has its own state-of-the-art medical department at Carrington.
Rangnick may have only just got his feet under the table, but he hasn’t wasted any time changing that approach after speaking with club doctor Steve McNally and Robin Sadler, head of rehabilitation and physiotherapy.
‘My former clubs were always trying to make sure the rehab should take place in the club itself,’ he said on Friday.
‘As far as I can tell, the medical department is really good with many different approaches towards rehab.
‘I would not want players to do their rehab abroad or anywhere else, but the decision on Paul was taken before I came.
‘I have already spoken to the medical department, to Steve our doctor and to Robin Sadler, that in the future I want players with injuries – and hopefully we don’t get long-term injuries – but if we have them in the future, I want them to stay here.’
The midfielder suffered a thigh muscle injury during a training session with France last month
Pogba is scheduled to meet with Rangnick on Sunday to discuss future plans at United
It may only have been a coincidence that Pogba made his way home from Dubai on Friday having spoken to Rangnick by phone on Tuesday, with United insisting his return was planned. The two men will meet on Sunday but the player isn’t expected back in action for another month.
Rangnick added: ‘We had a phone call for about 10 to 15 minutes. He told me that he is getting better but obviously still not fully fit. We will get to know each other in person on Sunday.
‘It will take another couple of weeks until he is fit for training again, and then he has been out for quite some time so it will take another couple of weeks to get him to be match fit.’
The topic of Pogba’s future at United has cast a shadow over Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Jose Mourinho before him, but Rangnick was forthright over the prospect of United’s record £89million signing leaving for nothing when his contract runs out in the summer.
‘If a player does not want to play for a club like Manchester United medium or long-term, I don’t think it makes sense to convince him to change his mind,’ he said.
‘This is such a massive club with such fantastic support from the supporters, I don’t think anyone in the club should try to convince a player to stay.’
The same is likely to apply to Pogba’s compatriot Anthony Martial after his agent claimed Friday that he wants to leave in January, with Donny van de Beek and Dean Henderson among the other players who may seek a move.
