France boss Didier Deschamps claims Paul Pogba has been "impacted mentally" by his negative "club situation" at Manchester United.
Pogba was dropped to the bench for United's 3-1 win at Everton after he conceded a costly penalty in the 1-0 home defeat to Arsenal earlier this month.
Red Devils boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer appears unsure how best to deploy Pogba, while the World Cup-winning midfielder's struggles continued with the national team on Wednesday.
The 27-year-old played 57 minutes in France's shock 2-0 defeat at home to Finland, and Deschamps believes the player's form has dipped due to his circumstances at Old Trafford.
“He’s not in his best form, of course. I knew that before the game,” Deschamps told reporters on Friday. "This match was meant to give him some rhythm. He knew that he would only play for an hour.
“It’s hard to remember to be positive. Obviously, he’s not in one of his better periods. Like all players who have a club situation that is not positive, they are also impacted mentally.
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"I know him well enough and it can happen at some points.”
Deschamps also admitted Pogba's lack of form means he may not start the Nations League clash with Portugal on Saturday evening.
The France boss added: “Periods like this can happen. He has the knowledge of the highest level, the pride and the spirit to be able to answer his critics.
“After that, I have decisions to make on all the elements compared to the other players.”
Pogba has won 73 caps for France, scoring 10 goals, and played a vital role in their World Cup triumph in Russia two years ago.
Meanwhile, he has made 11 appearances for United this season, scoring once and providing two assists.
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