Balogun back in contention for Monaco’s match against Nice

AS Monaco manager Adi Hütter has announced that striker Folarin Balogun is fit and available for selection ahead of Saturday’s clash with OGC Nice. The 23-year-old American international has been sidelined since early December due to a shoulder injury that required surgery.

Balogun made a successful return to action earlier this week, scoring an impressive hat-trick in just 16 minutes during a friendly match against Brighton’s Under-23 team. The striker played the first half before being substituted, with Monaco holding on for a 3-2 victory.

Hütter expressed satisfaction with Balogun’s performance, stating: “He’s back and ready to play. He had an excellent game with our elite group and is prepared to return to competitive action.”

In other team news, Kassoum Ouattara remains the only injured player in the squad. Jordan Teze, Soungoutou Magassa, and Aleksandr Golovin have all resumed training with the first team following their respective recoveries.

Balogun’s return provides a significant boost to Monaco’s attacking options as they look to secure a positive result against local rivals Nice in the upcoming Ligue 1 fixture.