Chiellini: Juventus lost 'the LeBron James of football' in Pogba

Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini has admitted his side is still adjusting from the loss of Paul Pogba back in the summer, the man he compared to LeBron James and Usain Bolt.

"We've changed players and now we are a side like any other," Chiellini told Sky Sport Italia, as translated by ESPN FC's Arindam Rej. "We're not used to losing and, in addition to this, we've lost a player like Pogba who was the LeBron James of football and, even when you didn't notice him, he was impressive."

Chiellini acknowledged the major loss of his teammate following Juventus' recent 2-1 away defeat at the hands of Fiorentina, in a match that left the Old Lady ruing two golden chances in the second half.

Apparently the James comparison didn't quite prove the point for Chiellini, as the Italian defender further emphasized Pogba's impact by comparing him to a different world-class athlete, in the same weekend.

"Pogba was our Usain Bolt - he allowed us to play in a certain way. Now we've changed. We're working on it and (manager Massimiliano) Allegri is not an idiot," Chiellini told Sport Mediaset, in a separate interview.

The impact of losing Pogba comes as no surprise for the Juventus faithful as Pogba spent four years at the club during which time it won the domestic title every year.

Apart from scooping up four consecutive Serie A medals, the French sensation also helped his team lift the Italian Cup in 2015-16 and 2014-15.

These remarkable achievements helped solidify Pogba's position as the most expensive player in world football when he moved to Manchester United last year, for a fee of €105 million plus add-ons.

Although the 23-year old has found his form as of late, he was in the limelight for the wrong reason on Sunday as he conceded a penalty that put his team behind, in a high-stake 1-1 draw with Liverpool at Old Trafford.