Folarin Balogun’s injury sidelines him for four months following shoulder surgery – leaving both AS Monaco and USMNT without one of their key players for extended periods. Folarin was due to start this weekend’s international friendly match against Portugal but instead suffered his setback due to shoulder problems that required four month surgery – leaving both teams without their valued player on either squad.
Adi Hutter of AS Monaco recently made it known in a press conference that Balogun would not return until March. This means he will miss much of this season – including CONCACAF Nations League matches for his national team USMNT – after dislocating his shoulder against Stade Rennais in October during a match versus them and later briefly appearing against Benfica and Marseille before suffering discomfort in his shoulder and having to be substituted due to discomfort in November.
Hütter stated that Balogun is scheduled for surgery and will be sidelined for four months. Despite only making seven appearances this season and scoring three times for Monaco, Balogun’s absence is keenly felt. His last participation in a USMNT game was in a 1-1 draw with New Zealand in September.
Since Mauricio Pochettino took over as the USMNT coach, Balogun has yet to play under his guidance. Now, with Balogun’s injury, there’s growing speculation about potential replacements for him at both the club and international levels. Whether these replacements will be temporary or long-term remains to be seen.
Looking for Balogun’s Replacement
With Balogun out, Monaco coach Hutter must now fill his position during January transfer window. Monaco have struggled in scoring recently, which highlights their need for a forward to complement existing players such as Breel Embolo and George Ilenikhena. As Monaco prepares to face tough competitors such as league leaders Manchester City or Arsenal this becomes even more essential.
On the USMNT front, Ricardo Pepi has proven his worth since Balogun left, contributing significantly in their win against Jamaica with two goals scored for Dutch club Sparta Rotterdam and drawing praise from former USMNT stars as an impressive 10 goals scored out of 15 appearances for Sparta Rotterdam – drawing attention as an alternative lead striker option to Balogun upon his return – fans and analysts alike will keep tabs on where Balogun sits among this roster when he comes back into it all.