Pogba doping ban reduced to 18 months after Cas appeal

Paul Pogba's four-year prohibition for a doping offence has been reduced to 18 months aft winning his entreaty to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas).

Sources adjacent to the 31-year-old Juventus midfielder told BBC Sport helium tin resume grooming successful January 2025 and volition beryllium eligible to play again from March.

France planetary Pogba was suspended by Italy's nationalist anti-doping tribunal (Nado) successful February aft a drugs trial recovered elevated levels of testosterone - a hormone that increases endurance - successful his system.

Cas manager wide Matthieu Reeb confirmed to Reuters the prohibition had been reduced to 18 months from 11 September, 2023.

Former Manchester United midfielder Pogba took his lawsuit to Cas and gave grounds successful idiosyncratic astatine a proceeding earlier this summer.

He antecedently said helium would "never knowingly oregon deliberately" dope and believed the verdict was "incorrect".

Had the archetypal prohibition stood, 2018 World Cup victor Pogba would person been incapable to play until 2027, erstwhile helium volition beryllium 34.

Pogba was provisionally suspended successful September 2023 aft being randomly tested pursuing Juventus' archetypal lucifer of the 2023-24 play connected 20 August.

The affirmative trial was confirmed by Nado successful a 2nd illustration successful October, and the anti-doping prosecutor's bureau requested a four-year suspension.

Speaking astatine the clip of the archetypal suspension, Pogba's agent, Rafaela Pimenta, said: "What is definite is that Paul Pogba ne'er wanted to interruption a rule."

Juventus re-signed Pogba connected a four-year woody successful July 2022 aft the subordinate ran down his declaration astatine Manchester United and near arsenic a escaped cause pursuing a six-year spell.

However, his instrumentality to Turin has been beset by persistent wounded problems which besides saw him miss the 2022 World Cup successful Qatar.

Pogba managed conscionable 162 minutes crossed 5 appearances during the 2022-23 play and had played a full of 51 minutes arsenic a substitute successful the pursuing run earlier his suspension.

Cas has been contacted by BBC Sport for comment.