Paul Pogba, a midfielder for Juventus, will miss France’s World Cup defence in Qatar because he still needs to recover from surgery on his knee.
Since returning from Manchester United in the summer, Pogba, 29, hasn’t appeared on the field for the Serie A team this year.
He suffered a knee injury in July and initially decided against surgery in an effort to recover in time for the competition.
On November 22, France will play its opening World Cup game against Australia.
In a statement on Monday, Pogba’s agent Rafaela Pimenta said: “Following yesterday’s and today’s medical review in Torino and Pittsburgh, it is extremely painful to inform Paul Pogba will still need recovery time from his surgery.
“For this reason, Paul will not be able to join Juventus’ squad before the World Cup break nor the French national team in Qatar.”