Paul Pogba’s four-year doping ban has been significantly reduced to just 18 months following a successful appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

The former Manchester United star was initially handed the lengthy suspension in February after testing positive for Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) last August.

DHEA is a substance known to enhance the production of hormones in the body, including testosterone. Pogba faced the grim prospect of retirement if the ban were upheld, but the 31-year-old French international demonstrated that he inadvertently ingested the banned substance, leading to a reduction in his penalty.

With the new ruling, Pogba is set to resume his career at Juventus in March next year and is reportedly allowed to start training in January. Although he has not made an official statement regarding the outcome, Pogba hinted at his potential return by sharing an Instagram post featuring a sand timer emoji.

According to the Daily Mail, Pogba’s appeal was heard at CAS headquarters in Switzerland in August, where photographic evidence of the potentially contaminated product played a crucial role in exonerating him.

Pogba was provisionally suspended in September last year following an adverse finding in his post-match drug test after Juventus’ 3-0 victory over Udinese on August 20. Although he was named as a substitute in that match, he did not enter the field. A request for a counter-analysis of his sample also returned a positive result.

Initially, anti-doping prosecutors in Italy sought a four-year suspension for Pogba, which was accepted by Italy’s National Anti-Doping Tribunal (TNA). Following the initial ruling, Pogba expressed his feelings of being “sad, shocked, and heartbroken,” while vowing to clear his name.

Since rejoining Juventus, Pogba has struggled with injuries, making only ten appearances in all competitions during his first season back in Italy and just two matches prior to his ban due to a back injury.

Upon his return, Pogba will find himself back in a Juventus squad that is currently unbeaten and sitting second in Serie A under new manager Thiago Motta.