France coach Didier Deschamps has stressed people cannot expect Paul Pogba to score a hat-trick each game because the Juventus man has other tasks in midfield.
The playmaker enjoyed an impressive club campaign that saw eight goals and 13 assists in 35 Serie A appearances, Pogba influential in Juve collecting a fifth successive Scudetto.
He is one of France’s undisputed key men heading into Euro 2016, but Deschamps has attempted to protect the 23-year-old against the high expectations.
“I am happy with Pogba. People expect him to score a hat-trick and to entertain the crowd with tricks. But he is a midfielder. He can score goals, but he has another job to do as well,” the France boss told L’Equipe.
“He has extraordinary technical qualities, but he’s not there to do crazy things each time he touches the ball. He has to find the right balance. He knows that the team sometimes needs him in a bit more neutral role. He can be useful and efficient in that role.
“I don’t need to tell him what to do going forward, but there is also a role for him without the ball that he is capable of. And he is already doing that much more than before.
“People always expect more from him because he is still young and shows a lot on the pitch. I have a clear idea of what I want from him. He can score goals and give assists. But it does not mean he has not put in a good performance if he doesn’t contribute with a goal or assist.”
France start their Euro 2016 campaign against Romania on Friday, before taking on Switzerland and Albania later on in Group A.
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