Former France international defender Bacary Sagna expects Paul Pogba to shine this summer for Les Bleus in Russia.
The Manchester United midfielder has come in for criticism in his homeland ahead of the World Cup, with some pundits saying Didier Deschamps should leave him out of the starting XI.
The French boss has been fast to defend Pogba and his former international colleague is also standing behind him, with Sagna, who retired from international duty in 2016, is confident Pogba can impress on the world stage.
“Paul is a special character and he’s very important for the team,” Sagna told Sky Sports News.
“He had a so-so season with Manchester United because he got a lot of criticism because when you cost £100m people expect you to score many goals, people expect you to make a lot more.
“People have to remember he is only a holding midfield player and he has orders from the manager, and to me a holding midfield player is there to protect the team and to defend first.
“That’s what he’s been doing but I’m looking forward to seeing him shining and he’s going to shine.”
France are 1.25 to win their opening match against Australia and 7.50 to win the World Cup outright.
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