Pogba downs Milan to send Man United into Europa League last eight

MILAN: Paul Pogba returned from injury to score the winner as Manchester United beat AC Milan 1-0 on Thursday to advance to the Europa League quarter-finals 2-1 on aggregate. World Cup winner Pogba had been sidelined for over five weeks with a hamstring injury.

But the 28-year-old Frenchman scored four minutes after coming off the bench at the start of the second half in the last 16, second leg clash at the San Siro.

Coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer welcomed Pogba's return as "a big, big boost for us".

"The boys have done remarkable without Paul but we know his qualities. "He makes a very, very big difference to us. Paul has been working really hard, but you could see he couldn't play more han 45 minutes.

"We had to readdress a couple of things in the second half when I think we were much, much better "We want to go all the way, it was hard to lose in the semi-finals (last year)."

Zlatan Ibrahimovic also returned from a thigh injury for Milan, the Swede coming on after an hour but despite threatening could not find a way past his former club.

"This elimination is a big disappointment," said coach Stefano Pioli.

"We played like a great team but we should have scored a goal in the first half tonight.

"Manchester are a very strong team that got to the semi-finals of the Europa League last year, a team that beat Manchester City 10 days ago.

"It's tough be we have to bounce back immediately in the league."

Milan had a slight advantage against 2017 winners United thanks to Simon Kjaer's stoppage-time away goal in the first leg at Old Trafford.

Solskjaer named an unchanged side from the first leg, sticking with the team that beat West Ham at the weekend in the Premier League.

Anthony Martial and Edinson Cavani remained out injured but Marcus Rashford returned as a starter, with Pogba and Donny van de Beek back on the bench.