Paul Pogba: Injury nightmare at Manchester United has showed me how much I love football

French midfielder reveals how difficult his struggle has been as he prepares for return

Paul Pogba during the match against Newcastle United at Old Trafford on Boxing Day, his last game for Manchester United. Reuters

Paul Pogba during the match against Newcastle United at Old Trafford on Boxing Day, his last game for Manchester United. Getty Images

Manchester United's Paul Pogba was easing into action after injury. EPA

Paul Pogba asked his Manchester United teammates to wear anti-racism wrist bands during warm-up before the match against Newcastle United at Old Trafford. AFP

Paul Pogba said he wants to send out a message of unity. EPA

Paul Pogba of Manchester United applauds fans after the win over Newcastle United. Getty Images

Paul Pogba, right, has hit out against racism in the past. PA

Paul Pogba talks to Newcastle United's French midfielder Florian Lejeune. AFP

Manchester United's Paul Pogba takes on Newcastle United's Martin Dubravka. Reuters

Manchester United's Paul Pogba takes a shot against Newcastle United at Old Trafford. PA

Paul Pogba vies for the ball with Newcastle United's Sean Longstaff. Reuters

Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba has revealed the extent of his injury nightmare has made him "hungry" to battle back and make his mark this season.

The France international has not played since Boxing Day, having suffered a setback to foot surgery earlier in the season, but he is stepping up his recovery and will resume training when the club are able to following the coronavirus pandemic.

"I've been frustrated, a long time ago. Now I'm almost there, so I'm just thinking about getting back and training fully with the team and everything," Pogba told United Podcast.

"I'm already training and touching the ball.

"You think bad but I've never had something like this in my career, so I always take it in a good way.

"It makes me more hungry to come back and do well. And, yeah, it just shows me as well how much I love football."

Pogba gave the full details of his injury, which has restricted him to just eight appearances this season.

"You have to be very patient because, well my injury, I don't know if people really know what happened," he added.

"So I had a foot injury, which came in the game against Southampton. It was early this season and so I carried this for a long time, training and trying to be playing with it. After I stopped, I found I had a fracture.

"I had a cast on it, a plaster-cast, so it went very well but too well. The bone got bigger and so, when I came back again, I played those two games against Watford and Newcastle, I could feel something again.

"So I had to have an operation and now here I am. I don't feel anything and, hopefully, I'll be back very soon."