Juventus midfielder, Paul Pogba provisionally suspended after testing positive for testosterone

Juventus and France midfielder, Paul Pogba has been provisionally suspended from playing football due to an alleged anti-doping offence.

The suspension was handed down by Italy’s national anti-doping tribunal on Monday after Pogba returned a test with elevated levels of testosterone following Juventus’ 3-0 victory over Udinese on August 20.

France international Pogba, 30, was an unused substitute but was selected at random for post-match drug testing.

If found guilty of doping, he could face a ban of between two and four years.

The tribunal said Pogba had violated anti-doping rules when they found the prohibited substance “non-endogenous testosterone metabolites”.

Juventus said in a statement: “Juventus Football Club announces that today, 11 September 2023, the footballer Paul Labile Pogba received a precautionary suspension order from the National Anti-Doping Tribunal following the results of tests carried out on 20 August, 2023.

“The club reserves the right to consider the next procedural steps.”

Nado said Pogba had violated anti-doping rules when they found the prohibited substance “non-endogenous testosterone metabolites” and the results were “consistent with the exogenous origin of the target compounds”.

Pogba has three days to produce a counter-analysis of the result to Nado.

Juventus re-signed Pogba on a four-year deal in July 2022 after the player ran down his contract at Manchester United and left as a free agent.

However, Pogba’s return to Turin has been beset by persistent injury problems which also saw him miss last year’s World Cup in Qatar.

Pogba has played a combined total of 51 minutes as a substitute this season in games with Bologna and Empoli.

Last season he managed 108 minutes over six Serie A games, three brief appearances and one assist in the Europa League, and 11 minutes in the Coppa Italia – a total of 162 minutes and no goals.