Manchester United midfield dynamo Paul Pogba will be out for the "long-term," according to his manager, Jose Mourinho.
Pogba hurt in Champions League opener
The Frenchman went down after just 19 minutes of United's Champions League Group Stage opener against Basel. The Old Trafford medical team initially hoped he would miss just over a month, but Mourinho dashed those during his pre-match press conference on Friday.
Reports from ESPN suggested Pogba will miss out until at least November. When asked on Friday, Mourinho would not comment specifically.
"It's not an injury that I can have the hope I have with [Antonio] Valencia or [Phil] Jones," he said. "I have the hope to see them in training. Long-term injuries, I don't speak about them. Ibra, Pogba, Rojo, I don't think about these players."
Pogba to miss Liverpool, Champions League clashes
If Pogba will not be fit until November, he will miss United's trip to Anfield on October 14th in addition to both Champions League matches against Benfica. He will also miss France's impending World Cup qualifiers and in all likelihood United's matches against Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea at the end of October and start of November, respectively.
Pogba had been off to strong start
The midfielder struggled at times during his debut season at Old Trafford. It seemed as though his price tag as most expensive footballer ever weighed down on him, and he could not impose himself against England's best teams. However, his goal against Ajax in the Europa League Final and the ludicrous transfer fees paid out this summer seemed to have liberated him.
Pogba was dictating games, overpowering players, creating and scoring goals for United. Over their first four Premier League matches, he had two goals and two assists and seemed ready to kick on for the rest of the season. Now, the world must wait another month or so to see him hit the heights again.