September 11, (THEWILL) – Juventus midfielder, Paul Pogba, has returned an adverse analytical finding in a recent doping test, according to reports monitored by THEWILL.
The Frenchman is said to have shown elevated levels of testosterone in a blood sample taken after Juve’s 3-0 Serie A win away at Udinese on 20 August. Although Pogba did not feature in the match itself, remaining unused on the bench, he was among the players randomly selected for testing afterwards. In such cases where a potential violation is detected, the athlete has the right to request an analysis of their B sample to validate the original A sample result.
This secondary testing will take place within the next week at the same laboratory. Should the finding be confirmed, Pogba faces an automatic provisional suspension from football pending further investigation. The potential sanctions range up to a 4-year ban if found guilty of ingesting banned performance-enhancing substances.
However, Pogba may argue the substance was taken inadvertently or the abnormal testosterone levels stem from an underlying medical condition. Yet, the news will come as a major worry for both the player and his club Juventus, who re-signed him from Manchester United just last month.
Pogba was expected to be integral to the Italian team’s bid to reclaim the Serie A title from rivals Inter Milan this season. Both parties will now anxiously await the results of the B sample analysis before commenting further or determining the next steps.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
