The U.S. international bagged a lovely goal, but departed the match in the second half with an upper-body injury after a brief collision
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Monaco defeat Rennes 2-1Folarin Balogun scores in third-straight Ligue 1 matchU.S. striker leaves contest with upper-body injuryWHAT HAPPENED?
Folarin Balogun scored his third goal of the season, and his third in as many games, as Monaco defeated Rennes 2-1 in Ligue 1 action Saturday. The U.S. international had the ball put on a platter by attacker Eliesse Ben Seghi, and he finished in stupendous fashion, lifting the ball over goalkeeper Steve Mandanda.
However, midway through the second half, he appeared to sustain an upper-body injury and as a result, was removed from the match in the 65th minute. The club did not announce the specific nature of the injury.
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Questions around his health and fitness will now surface, as he is scheduled to depart in the coming days to the United States for his first training camp under new manager Mauricio Pochettino.
If he can participate, Balogun will look to impress his new coach, while also showing the Argentine why he should be viewed as the no. 1 striker in the player pool. He'll have stiff competition, though, as Norwich City's Josh Sargent is also a man in form.
The Canaries striker bagged a goal Saturday as well, as he helped them to a 4-0 win over Hull City in the English Championship.
DID YOU KNOW?
Monaco sit atop the Ligue 1 standings at the end of Saturday with 19 points out of a possible 21.
PSG trail them by three points with a game in-hand, but don't feature until Sunday.
AFPWHAT NEXT FOR BALOGUN?
Balogun will need to be evaluated in the coming days. If he can travel, he'll look to be fit for matches against Panama and Mexico. But if he's ruled out for the window, it will be unfortunate timing for the 23-year-old – who was finding form at the right time.