Paul Pogba tests positive for banned substance in back-up sample but former Man United star will fight to clear his name

Juventus star Paul Pogba has tested positive for a banned substance in back-up doping samples.

The France international’s future at Juventus now looks unclear as he fights to clear his name and avoid a lengthy ban.

2

The maximum sentence for a breach of doping rules could be as long as four years.

However, Pogba will do all he can to prove he did not knowingly take a banned substance.

talkSPORT understands the substance found in his system was DHEA, which boosts naturally produced testosterone.

That can be found in supplements and Pogba is planning to test every product he has used to find out how it got into his body.

Pogba was provisionally suspended by Juventus pending the results of his doping tests, which initially showed positive traces in August.

Juventus had beaten Udinese 3-0 before the results came back positive; Pogba was an unused substitute in the match but was hauled in by anti-doping chiefs after full-time.

After the results, Pogba and his team immediately demanded counter-analysis to be carried out, with the results being published on Friday.

And they show that the midfielder’s back-up samples have also tested positive for traces of a banned substance.

2

Pogba is currently earning around £8.6m-a-year in wages in Turin and has three years left on his contract.

The World Cup winner had a miserable return season at Juventus last year after joining from United on a free transfer but injuries ravaged his campaign and limited him to eight appearances in Serie A.

He managed two this season after returning to fitness before Italian anti-doping chiefs issued a provisional ban, which is automatically handed out after a positive test is returned.