PAUL POGBA has been told to light up the Cup as he prepares for his first football in three months tonight.
The French World Cup winner is back in the Manchester United squad for the FA Cup tie against Middlesbrough at Old Trafford tonight and manager Ralf Rangnick says he could start.
Having never played under the interim manager Rangnick is excited to see what he can do.
Rangnick said: “I’ll be excited myself to see how Paul is doing and like all the other players for me he is now a new player and he can show me and the team and the fans and everyone in England how good he is and what high level he can play.
“Let’s just wait and see what he can show and what he can deliver.“
Pogba has been back in full training after recovering from a thigh injury and is also getting on with the new boss.
They have had a number of discussions over how to get the best out of him, something previous United managers Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer could not do.
It has been a mystery how he has been unable to produce the form he did in winning four titles with Juventus and becoming a World Champion with France.
But Rangnick has his ideas and said: “I see his best possible position for me as one of central midfield positions as either an 8 or 10.
“But the way we’re currently playing I’d rather see him in the 8 position but we’ll have to see.”
Pogba has been so impressed in his talks with Rangnick that he may reverse his decision to leave on a free at the end of this season if the German stays on as boss.
Either way Rangnick says the player Pogba has to show his very best to his current and potential new employers.
He said: “It’s up to him now, his contract is expiring in the summer and if in the end he would like to stay or go somewhere else he has to show up.
“It’s not only in the interest for us as a club but it’s in his personal interest that he plays and performs at the highest possible level in the next couple of weeks.
“It is in his own interest to play on a high level to have a good performance in this game and do everything to get into the first XI.
“That will not automatically happen because we have other good players in that area. Fred has been doing well in the last weeks since I arrived and we reduced the amount of goals we conceded.
“It’s up to him. In the end the players themselves decide who will be in the starting line-up and the group is smaller now but still strong enough and competitive enough to be successful.”
Interim boss Rangnick has delivered the same message to Jesse Lingard who is also out of contract this summer and saw a deadline day move fall through.
One player who did go this week was Donny van de Beek on loan to Everton after starting one of the ten games Rangnick has been in charge of.
Anthony Martial and Amad Diallo also left on loan to Sevilla and Glasgow Rangers respectively.
On Van de Beek, Rangnick said: “In the end it’s a question of competition.
“Like Paul Pogba I see him in the centre of midfield as one of the 6 or 8 positions and we have quite a few other good players in those positions.
“Therefore he didn’t get much game time but that doesn’t mean he’s not good enough for the Premier League or Manchester United.
“I’m pretty sure that he will get his game time at Everton and show what kind of quality he has.
“He’s a fantastic person and in the last 9 or 10 weeks when I got to know him I’m fully aware he’s a fantastic team player and I wish him all the very best. I was in contact with him and wish him all the best for the next months at Everton.”
