\n<\/p>\n
Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba has been provisionally suspended from playing after a drugs test found elevated levels of testosterone in his system.<\/span><\/p>\n Italy’s national anti-doping tribunal (Nado) said Pogba was tested after Juve’s 3-0 win at Udinese on 20 August.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n The 30-year-old France international, an unused substitute, was randomly selected for post-match drug testing.<\/span><\/p>\n If found guilty of doping, he could face a ban of between two and four years.<\/span><\/p>\n 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. <\/span><\/p>\n “The club reserves the right to consider the next procedural steps.”<\/span><\/p>\n Pogba’s agent, Rafaela Pimenta, said she was “awaiting the second sample and cannot have an opinion before the results”.<\/span><\/p>\n “What is certain is that Paul Pogba never wanted to break a rule,” Pimenta added. <\/span><\/p>\n Nado said Pogba had violated anti-doping rules when it found the prohibited substance “non-endogenous testosterone metabolites” and the results were “consistent with the exogenous origin of the target compounds”.<\/span><\/p>\n Testosterone is a hormone that increases the endurance of athletes.<\/span><\/p>\n Pogba has three days to produce a counter-analysis of the result to Nado. <\/span><\/p>\n Juventus <\/span>re-signed Pogba on a four-year deal<\/span><\/a> in July 2022 after the player ran down his contract at Manchester United and left as a free agent.<\/span><\/p>\n However, Pogba’s return to Turin has been beset by persistent injury problems which also saw him <\/span>miss last year’s World Cup<\/span><\/a> in Qatar.<\/span><\/p>\n Pogba has played a total of 51 minutes as a substitute this season in games with Bologna and Empoli. <\/span><\/p>\n 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.<\/span><\/p>\n