Wednesday 12 December 2018 18:59, UK
In the midst of another turbulent season for Manchester United - which sees them fighting for a top-four spot rather than a Premier League title - the games off the pitch are catching the eye more than the performances on it.
While United have already qualified for the knock-out stages of the Champions League and smashed four goals past a beleaguered Fulham last time out at Old Trafford, the media focus has returned to a familiar theme - the relationship between manager Jose Mourinho and midfielder Paul Pogba.
Pogba arrived at United as the world's most expensive player in August 2016 and was an integral part of a team that won the League Cup and Europa League in his first campaign and went on to finish runners-up in the Premier League last season.
But this campaign has seen United's struggles mirror that of a player who returned to Manchester in the summer as a World Cup winner.
Benched for three of the last four games, Pogba has failed to replicate the form that he showed for his country in Russia - scoring only three goals and providing as many assists in 14 matches.
Stripped of the vice-captaincy in September, a frosty exchange on the training ground caught on camera and a war of words seemingly played out in the media, all has not appeared right between Pogba and his manager.
And now there are new accusations that Pogba was only brought back to the club from Juventus for commercial reasons, claims which have not gone down well with the United hierarchy.
Sky Sports News understands United have never bought a player for commercial reasons and only ever considered the value that Pogba would bring to the club as a player.
But it does not mean United have not made the most of their acquisition in a commercial sense.
Pogba's arrival - trumpeted on Twitter by rapper Stormzy - came at a time when United were looking to drive their social media traffic and the Frenchman's image continues to be at the forefront of one of world sport's most successful commercial operations.
But as the words come thick and fast and the money continues to pour in, United are facing many difficult questions.
One of which, is what to do with a player boasting one of the most powerful sporting images on the planet and almost 31 million Instagram followers?
In Valencia, Mourinho will give Pogba a start in what is something of a dead rubber ahead of a trip to Anfield to face unbeaten league leaders Liverpool on Sunday.
He says he wants Pogba to "play well" and have a "good impact on the team". But right now it looks like a situation that has plenty of twists and turns to come.
