French international Paul Pogba, a player for Monaco's first football team, returned to the field on Saturday after playing for one half in a friendly match against Saint-Priest, which ended in a 5-2 victory for his team, as part of preparations for the new season. After watching his more experienced teammates from the bench during the first half, which ended with Monaco leading 2-0, Pogba played the entire second half as a defensive midfielder and wore the captain's armband for a young team that managed to win the match. Under the watch of Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev, the club president, at Monaco's training center, Pogba delivered an acceptable performance, playing without a protective brace on his knee, but on the other hand showed that he has not yet regained full physical fitness, and the struggles that accompanied him last season are still evident in his physical condition. Pogba has not played any match since May 2, when he started for the only time last season during his team's 2-1 victory over Metz, before leaving the field after 58 minutes. Brazilian Filipe Luís, Monaco's coach, said after the friendly match, which saw 24 players from the team participate: "Pogba follows the same training program and undergoes the same training sessions as all the players. I hope he can reach a high level physically, because when the ball is at his feet, he is truly a wonderful player. Of course, we demand a lot from midfielders, and he knows that well. He gives his best and works hard to be in top shape and help the team." Thiago Scuro, Monaco's general director, acknowledged last week on the sidelines of Luís's presentation that the project set for Paul Pogba last season did not succeed, and that expectations were completely different from what happened, adding: "We must treat him fairly and monitor his physical and technical development week by week, and then the decision will be up to the coach. We have the summer preparation period to assess Paul's level. Our relationship with him has always been based on transparency. If the player's goals differ from the club's goals, we will sit down and talk, and we will find the appropriate solution. His performance will decide things; he may leave, and he may stay."