The French international failed to report to the team's flight to Wales on Friday ahead of the club's friendly encounter with the Italian side at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, citing a back spasm as the explanation for his absence.

However, reports in the UK media suggest that players and officials at the club were very surprised by Pogba's actions with many seeing it as another attempt to force a move away from Old Trafford.

Furthermore, Spanish outlet El Chiringuito has reported that Pogba is not injured and that he told United boss Ole Gunnar Solksjaer at the club's Carrington training base on Friday that he wishes to leave the club, leaving the United hierarchy scrambling to explain the player's no-show.

Pogba is understood to be a transfer target for Real Madrid, with Zinedine Zidane's motivation to sign the player likely to have been strengthened after a series of poor performances in pre-season.

Zidane, who is now in his second spell in charge at Santiago Bernabeu, has highlighted the potential impact of Pogba's arrival to Real's president Florentino Perez, who has yet to be convinced that the addition of Pogba to an already star-studded squad is necessary.

Real Madrid has since been linked with Ajax midfielder Donny van de Beek who would be a significantly less expensive alternative to the French World Cup winner – but whether or not this speculation led to Pogba's apparent decision to skip Manchester United's clash with AC Milan is purely a guess at this point.

Pogba opened the door to a move away from Manchester in June, telling reporters: "There is a lot of thinking [going on]. I have been three years in Manchester and have been doing great – some good moments and some bad moments, like everybody, like everywhere else.

"After this season and everything that happened, with my season being my best season … it could be a good time to have a new challenge somewhere else."