SUSPENSION DELAYS POGBA'S UNITED DEBUT

Paul Pogba is suspended for Manchester United’s opening match of the Premier League season as a result of a yellow card picked up in his final match with former club Juventus.

The 23-year-old France international completed a transfer to Old Trafford on Tuesday and fans had hoped to see him debut at Bournemouth on Sunday. However, it has been confirmed that the midfielder is banned after he was booked while playing in a Coppa Italia win over AC Milan on 21 May.

Football Association rules stipulate that any player serving a ban in another country will have that suspension carried over, even if they leave that league and join the Premier League.

It was presumably unlikely that Pogba would have played at the Vitality Stadium given that he only reported for training this week, with the first pictures of him emerging on Friday. Jose Mourinho has hinted in his press conference that his fourth signing could face Southampton next weekend.

"I don't speak about him [Pogba]," the manager told reporters. "He is suspended and I don't speak about suspended players or injured players. I speak about the ones who are ready to play, so I forget Paul for a few days. By Tuesday he will be ready to play against Southampton.

"I knew the situation with the yellow cards, but I didn't know if an accumulation of yellow cards would bring a player to suspension. I didn't know if it would be like in Italian football, where it would be a corresponding competition - the first match of the FA Cup. I was waiting for that decision and found out two days ago."

Meanwhile, Chris Smalling is also suspended for United’s opening league match due to the red card he received following his second bookable offence in last season’s FA Cup final. The centre-back was given a one-match ban and that did not include the FA Community Shield win last Sunday.

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By Unknown on Friday 12 August 2016