Paul Pogba will request second opinion on positive doping test

The Frenchman joined Juventus last season

After receiving a positive testosterone test result, Paul Pogba will seek a second opinion, according to reports.

The Frenchman is doing his hardest to show that he accidentally consumed the drug in order to escape a potential four-year ban.

The reason Paul Pogba tested positive for drugs and received a temporary four-year suspension was that he took certain dietary supplements without realising they included testosterone.

The backup B sample test for the France midfielder will likely be available by the end of the week, and it is predicted to be positive.

The specific food supplements were suggested to him by a friend of his who works as a doctor in Miami; they are available in the U.S. but not in Italy.

Pogba, 30, admitted to Juventus that he didn't realise testosterone was present in the supplements he took but that he was aware of his error and regretted not informing his team about the purchase or seeking permission from the club physicians to take it.

The test was conducted following Juventus' Aug. 20 match at Udinese. Pogba was on Juventus' bench but did not participate in the Serie A game.

Pogba could face a four-year penalty pending a trial and testing of a backup B sample.

According to ESPN, the Italian team has stopped paying Pogba his $8.6 million salary and has informed him that his contract, which is set to expire in June 2026, could be terminated if he is punished.

Pogba will contend in his defence that he didn't realise the supplement contained testosterone when he took it. He can possibly be charged with a crime since drug doping is a punishable offence in Italy.

"We are waiting for the results of the counter-analysis and cannot say anything until then," Pogba's agent Rafaela Pimenta said in a statement reported by Italian media.

"The only certain thing is that Paul Pogba never intended to break the rules."