Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris is wary of the threat his France teammate Paul Pogba poses when Manchester United travel to north London next week, expecting him to be fully motivated on his return to action.
Spurs host the Red Devils on Friday 19 June in both teams’ first Premier League match back after the coronavirus hiatus.
Pogba is fit and in contention to start after his long-standing ankle injury has healed and he could be in the United starting XI for the first time since September.
There remains much speculation over the midfielder’s future, with Real Madrid and Juventus continually linked with a move for him over the last 12 months, and concerns that he has been pushing for an exit during his injury troubles.
However, Lloris, who has played with Pogba man times for France and lifted the World Cup with him in 2018, is expecting a fully motivated opponent on Friday night and expects United to reap the benefits of having him back in action.
‘I know Paul and as soon as he gets on the field he wants to win,’ said Lloris, via the Evening Standard.
‘He will do everything possible to be at his best to help Manchester United make the top four.’
With Pogba back fit, there is now the prospect of him lining up alongside January signing Bruno Fernandes for the first time in a Manchester United midfield.
The pair are yet to play together, but after the wonderful impact Fernandes has made since his arrival from Sporting, the partnership appears to have unlimited potential.
The two played together in the same midfield in a friendly against West Brom on Friday, offering the first glimpses of the budding relationship.
However, former United midfielder Darren Fletcher has warned that either the Frenchman or the Portuguese is going to have to learn to curb their attacking intent as they look to strike a balance in midfield.
‘Without doubt, of course. Great players can come together,’ Fletcher told the MUTV Group Chat. ‘Listen: somebody might have to sacrifice a little bit of something – that’s part of being in a team, it’s not an individual sport.
‘When you play with a certain midfield, whether it’s a midfield three, you adapt your game to complement each other.
‘That’s what I had to do at United. I was in the team with lots of different midfielders, lots of combinations and, if a certain midfielder was playing, I would try to take up positions to allow him to benefit and he would do things to allow me to benefit.
‘It’s all about being compatible and recognising the strengths of your fellow team-mates and how to get your best performance, but, ultimately, you might be sacrificing what you do best to allow someone else to excel, which helps the team win.’
MORE: Louis Saha reveals what Man Utd players have told him about Paul Pogba since his return to training
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