Folarin Balogun’s recent shoulder injury could reportedly sideline him for the remainder of 2024.
Balogun is set to miss two months after dislocating his shoulder with AS Monaco, L’Equipe reported Tuesday. There is no official timetable yet for Balogun’s return, but things aren’t looking good for the U.S. men’s national team forward.
Balogun suffered the injury back on October 6 against Rennes, a match in which he scored once in a 2-1 victory. The injury forced Balogun to miss USMNT duty this month, which is the first camp under new head coach Mauricio Pochettino.
After a slow start to Ligue 1 play, Balogun scored in three-consecutive matches before the injury. He’s also featured in UEFA Champions League play.
However, the 22-year-old is now likely to miss the USMNT’s CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal slate this November.
Should Balogun miss the remainder of the year, the earliest he would return to the USMNT picture is the Nations League Final Four next March, pending if the Americans advance to that stage.
I’m no doctor, but usually a dislocated shoulder doesn’t take that long unless it requires surgery. Considering how badly the US played vs. Mexico we could probably use him in the Nations League. Let’s hope he is a fast healer.