Paul Pogba reportedly apologised to his Manchester United team-mates after ignoring specific orders from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at half-time during Sunday’s loss to Liverpool.
Pogba was sent off just 15 minutes after replacing Mason Greenwood at Old Trafford. The Frenchman is claimed to have been specifically told by Solskjaer ‘not to do anything stupid’.
Referee Anthony Taylor initially gave Pogba a yellow card for his tackle on Naby Keita.
However, VAR advised Taylor to review the incident on the pitchside monitor and he upgraded the card to red.
United were already 5-0 down at the time, so Pogba’s dismissal had no impact on the result.
But it has emerged that the 28-year-old was instructed by his manager not to get sent off.
GQ Magazine says Pogba said sorry to his team-mates after the match, having disobeyed Solskjaer’s orders.
He will now miss the club’s next three Premier League matches, starting with their crucial trip to Tottenham on Saturday.
Pogba has entered the final year of his contract at United.
The Sun says the France star has abandoned all talks over a renewal and that United have accepted they will lose him for free.
He also ignored Solskjaer after the match on Sunday.
Pogba broke his silence following his red card by writing on social media: “No time to feel sorry for ourselves… Wake up, step up and make the next days better!”
United legend Paul Scholes was bemused by Pogba’s impact on Sunday and doubts if Solskjaer will play him again.
Scholes told Premier League Productions: “Paul Pogba coming on to the pitch at half-time to try and help the team and maybe get a little respectability about it, tries to stand on the ball, tries to show how strong he is in the middle of the pitch… gives the goal away.
“Then later on gets sent off with a ridiculous tackle. Now you’re 5-0 down with 10 men. You’d have to think, if Ole’s still a manager there, will we see Pogba again in a United shirt?
“Look, he probably will play [again] won’t he? But I don’t think they will be missing anything if he doesn’t.”
Pogba will also miss the Manchester derby against City on November 6 as well as the trip to Watford after the international break.