Monaco´s Balogun ruled out for four months after shoulder surgery

Monaco head coach Adi Hutter confirmed that forward Folarin Balogun is expected to miss up to four months of the season after undergoing shoulder surgery last week.

Balogun missed seven games in all competitions for the Ligue 1 side after dislocating his shoulder in Monaco’s 2-1 victory over Rennes, a game that he scored the winner in.

The American returned to action at the end of last month in Monaco’s Champions League clash against Benfica before featuring against Marseille at the start of December.

However, after continuing to feel discomfort, Balogun and the French club made the decision to undergo surgery last week, resulting in a prolonged absence from the pitch.

“Folarin will undergo surgery in the next few days and will be out for around three months,” Hutter told a press conference.

Balogun has netted three goals in seven league outings this season, with only Eliesse Ben Seghir (four) scoring more for Monaco this term, despite playing eight more games.

Only Breel Embolo (5.62) has accumulated a higher expected goals (xG) total than Balogun in Ligue 1 this campaign, with the American’s absence a huge blow for Hutter.

Monaco, currently third in the standings after 15 games, take on Paris Saint-Germain this Wednesday, knowing a defeat will leave them 10 points behind the leaders.